Tulsa mother, breast cancer survivor documents journey, warns others about warning signs

TULSA, Okla. — A young breast cancer survivor is working to educate other young women about the disease on social media.

Aisha Patterson was still breastfeeding her fourth child when she found a lump in her breast. She said she didn’t think much of it, most likely just a clogged milk duct. When two more lumps showed up, however, she went to the doctor. To her disbelief, it was breast cancer. Patterson was only 30.

“It was absolute shock because I didn’t realize that it happened to young people,” she said.

According to the American Cancer Society, the median age when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer is 62 years old. The Susan G. Komen Foundation says women younger than 40 only make up about 4% of women diagnosed in the United States.

Patterson started posting about her cancer diagnosis on Instagram when she was diagnosed. She went through 3 rounds of chemo, 6 weeks of radiation and a double mastectomy. By May 2021, she was cancer-free with a new purpose in mind.

“I want to advocate for young women, so that we get better education around breast health and also that we’re represented in the guidelines,” Patterson said.

On her page, you’ll find fun, trendy videos that also get her more than 12,000 followers talking about breast cancer. Patterson said she’s grateful she went through what she did, because of how she’s now able to help others.

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