How an 8-Year-Old Girl Was Diagnosed With a Rare Form of Breast Cancer

Your typical third grader starts learning the multiplication tables, can read chapter books, and runs around with friends during recess — but for Chrissy Turner, being a third grader has been much different. For this sweet 8-year-old girl who loves drawing and coloring, third grade was when she was diagnosed with a disease normally associated with grown women: breast cancer.

Chrissy approached her parents, Troy and Annette Turner, in the middle of October to tell them about a lump she found on her chest. Unfortunately for the Turners, cancer is something they've dealt with before — Annette is a cervical cancer survivor, and Troy was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma when Chrissy was a baby — but Chrissy's cancer has come as a bit of a shock to the family, especially as it's a very rare form of the disease.

"It's called Secretory Carcinoma. . . . She is the youngest that they've [come across] having this particular type of breast cancer. . . . It's a struggle every day worrying about my family, about my husband and now my baby girl," Annette told ABC4 Utah News.

Chrissy's treatment will begin with a mastectomy — her family knows that she has a long road ahead of her — and though her battle will be a tough one, Chrissy is remaining hopeful. "I was scared the first time that I knew about it. But I knew that I could fight it off and I hope that I can fight it off."

The family has started a GoFundMe page to help raise money for her medical expenses and a Facebook page to keep everyone in the loop on her condition.