LEXINGTON, S.C. — Katie Feaster and her husband smile with joy at the idea, their daughter Isla is the first girl on his side of the family in more than 50 years.
She's the light of their world and her birth has been described by some as miraculous. Isla isn't the only medical miracle in the Feaster home. At just 25 years old, Katie was diagnosed with triple negative stage 2 breast cancer.
She was six months pregnant with Isla when she learned she had one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer.
Katie has always been in tune with her body; so, when she noticed a lump in her breast, she went in to have it looked at.
"I notice things very quickly. And I found it in June and I went to the Women's Imaging Center, had it scanned, and they told me that it was normal, that it was just normal breast tissue, there was no shadowing," Katie told us. "So, they weren't worried about it; and that was on a Tuesday. That Saturday, I found out I was pregnant."
As her baby bump grew larger, so did the area in her breast. Six months after she was told it was nothing, an ultrasound and a biopsy showed that it was breast cancer.
Katie's treatment plan would include three rounds of chemotherapy while pregnant, four after she delivered Isla, a double mastectomy, and now, a maintenance chemo drug.
Isla was born healthy at 35 weeks on Feb. 1 weighing 5 pounds and 10 ounces. Katie is doing well and is thankful for every medical victory. Her grandmother and great-grandmother were both diagnosed with breast cancer. However, after genetic testing, Katie shows no signs of gene mutations.
Katie credits her faith, family, and medical team for her recovery. Her husband Stacy also reflected on the last year.
"All I wanted to do was make things better. I mean, you just got to be there," he said. "On the days where she doesn't feel like she's strong enough, that's ... my job. That's where I come in."
Katie has started a Facebook group called Katie's Kickin' Cancer that chronicles her journey. Her goal is to make sure women, regardless of their age, pay attention to their health.
"It can happen to anybody. A lot of times, when women that are my age get diagnosed, it is stage four because they've been told 100 times, 'You're 25, there's no way it's cancer,'" Katie said. "And I was lucky enough to actually have two doctors who took me seriously. If you have a doctor who you don't think is advocating for you, find a different one!"
Early detection is the key to saving your life when it comes to a breast cancer diagnosis. Health experts agree on the importance of talking to your doctor about the right time to start your annual mammograms.