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Jacksonville mom, Christie Lesser, tells how she’s gained 30 years with her family, despite breast cancer.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One self-exam saved Christie Lesser’s life — and gave her 30 more years with her husband, kids and mom.
Over 30 years ago, Christie was tuning into First Coast News when she learned about Buddy Check. That very evening, she performed a self-exam and discovered a lump.
“I told my mom and she said, ‘Go call your doctor right now,’” Christie remembers. Her mom, Shirley, has been by her side every step of the way.
This lump turned out to be breast cancer. It was atypical — soft like bread instead of firm like an aspirin — but she detected it early enough to survive.
The lifesaver necklace
Following her recovery, Christie desired a constant reminder of her second chance at life. She enlisted a jeweler to create a mold of a real Lifesaver and transform it into a gold necklace, as a tribute to her mother.
Christie gave it to her mom on Mother’s Day. Shirley never takes it off.
Nowadays, Christie shares that she’s living the life she prayed for, alongside her husband Michael, their son Quinton, and daughter Kendal. She’s been present for Halloween costumes (including the time she covered every part of Kendal’s face in glitter for her butterfly ensemble) and family trips that wouldn’t have occurred if she hadn’t caught the cancer early.
Her children describe their mother as “No. 1… priceless” and urge their friends, “Let your mom be your Buddy.” Quinton mentions that through their mom’s medical ordeal, they learned “how fragile life” truly is.
Christie is employed at two Arlington schools — Don Brewer Elementary and Merrill Road — as a speech-language pathologist. She credits her faith in God and the importance of early detection for keeping her here for her family.
Her message on this Buddy Check Day: “Check your boobies!”
Order your free Buddy Check kit
Stay on top of your monthly self-exams with a waterproof shower card and Buddy Check kit. It’s free, and it could save your life — just like it did for Christie. First Coast News and Baptist Health are partners in Buddy Check. Order your free Buddy Check kit here
Sign up for the Buddy Bus
The Buddy Bus, the First Coast News and Baptist/MD Anderson’s mobile mammography unit, can come straight to your workplace, school or parking lot. It’s quick, easy and convenient. A mammogram can pick up tiny pre-cancers, as tiny as grains of sand. Schedule the Buddy Bus visit here.
