It’s hard when a spouse battles cancer, it’s harder when a married couple battles cancer together. It’s devastating when the 8 year old child of two cancer survivors is diagnosed with cancer. That’s what Annette and Troy Turner found out when their 8 year daughter Chrissy was diagnosed with a rare case of breast cancer a few weeks ago. Chrissy went to her mother when she found a lump in her chest.
Her mother took her to the doctor the next day and was shocked when Chrissy was diagnosed with Secretory Breast Carcinoma, a type of cancer that accounts for fewer than 1% of all breast cancers and fewer than 0.1% of all tumors in youth of her age. Chrissy is the youngest documented diagnosed case in the United States.
Chrissy will undergo a mastectomy at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Her case is being reviewed by the the nation’s top oncologist and the Utah State Tumor Board.
Cancer is no stranger to the Turner family. Chrissy’s mom, Annette Turner, is a cervical cancer survivor. Her dad, Troy Turner is battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
When asked about how Chrissy is holding up Annette said,
“She is a bright, witty, young lady and I think she gets it,” adding that Chrissy has been coping by keeping busy and playing, but she will sometimes cry in her quieter moments about her rare breast cancer diagnosis.”
A family friend has set up a Go Fund Me page for the young child who will have a mountain of medical bills as she battles this disease. The goal of the page is to raise $100,000 and they just may succeed. In 12 days they have raised over $65,900. The funds from the site are designated to help with the cost of blood work, surgery and screenings she will have to undergo over the next few years.
The family has set up a facebook page for Chrissy https://www.facebook.com/ChrissysAlliance/
