Jessica Echito’s Breast Cancer Survival Story: “Social Media Sharing Saved My Life”

Disclaimer: Know Your Lemons deeply values and respects the experiences and stories shared by breast cancer patients. The advice, statements, or facts presented in these narratives may not necessarily align with medical expertise or be universally applicable to every individual’s situation. Breast cancer is a complex and highly individualized medical condition, and while these stories offer valuable insights and emotional support, they should not substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance and decision-making regarding breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and management. Know Your Lemons encourages a collaborative approach between patients, caregivers, and medical professionals to ensure the best possible care and outcomes for those affected by breast cancer.

Jessica is 47 years old from Phoenix, Arizona and found her breast cancer through a friend sharing our 12 signs of breast cancer image with her on social media. Now a 6.5 year survivor, Jessica enjoys reading, riding her jet ski, being outdoors, leadership & resiliency coaching, and most importantly, spending time with her kids and grandkids. Jessica is the co-founder of a nonprofit called ALH (And Life Happened) Coaching which provides free or low-cost life coaching to underserved populations. She is also the president of the for-profit organization called ALH Recruitment. She is the co-host of the "And Life Happened podcast" where guests share their resilience stories, and she co-moderates the social account for the @and_lifehappened podcast. Jessica is proud of the accomplishments she has made so far in life. Starting with becoming a mother at 18 and working hard to become a teacher, this led her to become an elementary principal, and she eventually earned her doctorate at 40 while being treated for breast cancer. She hopes to soon write a series of fiction novels, of which she has characters all mapped out for, but just needs time to put pen to paper. We are so grateful for Jessica in taking the time to share her story with you to help encourage women to look after their breast health by educating themselves on early detection with our materials. This is her story...

Hi, my name is Jessica and I wanted to tell you how I found my breast cancer with the Know Your Lemons lemon egg carton image. I had just had my 40th birthday and a friend of mine posted the Know Your Lemons image on Facebook. And I was actually just sitting in the bathtub and really looked at it. I really just kind of studied each lemon because I just thought it was so cool, I'd never seen it represented that way, and then went about my day. Two weeks later, I was getting out of the shower and just happened to cross my arms. And doing that pushed my breast just enough to show that I had a little dent. You could not see it without crossing the arms. And I went back and I found the image and I went, oh yeah, that's, that's the second image in the egg carton. And I called my doctor and got an appointment in. So fast forward to going to the doctor. I am just 40, right? So he actually does the breast exam, can't feel anything, and says I think it's nothing but I'm going to send you for a mammogram because you're 40. I ended up having, as my oncologist described it, I had little speckles of tumors across seven inches of my breast. She actually gave me an image of a dandelion being blown in the wind and she said, “this is your breast cancer.” And so, she said, had I not gotten a mammogram, I never would have felt my type of breast cancer, it would have just continued to spread. And so the Know Your Lemons image is what, in my opinion, saved my life. So I thank you for creating this image and for getting it out into the world.