Client tax issue

I have a client that I inherited as a part of a 401k plan. She has since left that company and is back at the university. Usually she would qualify for the earned income tax credit, but last year she recieved $6000 cash from the Wyeth Pfizer merger. As a result of the merger, stockholders of Wyeth recieved cash plus shares of Pfe. Is there any way to account for this cash settlement and still qualify for the earned income tax credit?