Sandy Ann Padilla is an advocate for early breast cancer detection.
           
At age 32 this mother of 3 told Action 4 she found a lump in her breast.

“I would go to the doctors and they would tell me that it was nothing to worry about that it was just a cyst,” recalled Padilla.

But somehow for Sandy Ann things just didn’t feel right so she decided to have a biopsy done and discovered she had breast cancer.

The hardest part she said was telling her children.

“I didn’t know how to explain it to them but as the days went by it became easier because I tried to explain to them in their level and just telling them that mommy is going to be ok.”

Unfortunately last year things only got worse.

 “I got diagnosed with ovarian and uterine cancer so I got a full hysterectomy...so as the years go by it attacks something else I’m ready for it -- just remove it -- as long as they don’t remove my heart I’m fine."

Thankfully the brave fighter battled cancer and won.

She now shares her story to others in hope they'll seek early detection.

“I think that some ladies are afraid to either check themselves,” said Dr. Claudia Aguero-Vasquez. “They’re afraid that they don’t know so they don’t bother doing it."

Dr. Aguero-Vasquez explained education is key for survival and warns young women shouldn’t feel immune to the disease.

A lesson Sandy Ann told us she learned the hard way.

“Look they have given me 1 year and even would’ve of spread throughout my whole body but it’s become years and I’m still standing strong."

Today she proudly calls herself a cancer survivor!