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SALT LAKE CITY -- If Jill Thompson read the story of her life to her two young children, her story would have two beginnings.
The first would tell how a fiesty athletic girl from Riverton married her high school sweetheart, Justin, how they moved into a beautiful home in Saratoga Springs and began their family.
The second beginning is nothing like a fairytale.
"It was on Valentine's Day, and we actually stayed home instead of going out like we usually do. And we were sitting on the floor watching TV, Lady and the Tramp, and my daughter Addy, who was 3 at the time, was very rambunctious," Jill said.
"She was jumping around and her head fell back and it hit my chest, and at that time was the first time I felt the lump," she continued.
Jill was 27 years old and trying to make sense of what she'd just touched.
"I remember sitting here thinking, OK, it's a clogged duct, because I was 28 weeks pregnant at the time with our second child, Carter," she said.
Jill happened to have a prenatal visit the next day. Her doctor ordered an ultrasound and then a biopsy to examine the lump.
"Cancer wasn't even part of the conversation. It was let's just get the appointment over so we can move on," she said.
But as the technician moved a wand over her breast, the screen showed more than one lump.
"So I knew kind of at that moment that something was wrong," she said.
Jill and Justin were at work together when the nurse called to tell them Jill had breast cancer.
"The phone call itself - yeah - it's unforgettable. I still remember her voice, sitting in the office. The fact that we were at least together to take the phone call was good. My first thought was, what's going on with the baby? How is this cancer affecting him? Is he going to be OK?"
Jill found an oncologist that specialized in young breast cancer patients through the Susan G. Komen Utah Foundation. She had a mastectomy while pregnant. She delivered her son Carter, healthy and strong, a month early so she could begin chemotherapy.
That's when Jill's trademark blonde hair started to fall out.
"One of the hardest things was cutting the hair, and I really wanted Addy to be there and to participate, and to see it. I wanted her to realize that it was her mom, and me," she said.
"Just because my physical appearance was changing didn't mean that I was changing as a person. And I wanted her to see that, and be able to learn and grow from it, but also - be accepting of others when they may look different or feel different," she said.
"The treatment was emotionally draining, but Jill's spirit lifted at last year's Race for the Cure. Co-workers, friends, and family had formed a team for her.
"The moment that I saw the crowd of people, I turned the corner, is when my heart just filled with joy. I was so grateful at the time that I was wearing sunglasses because the tears just started streaming down my face," she said.
"I thought, you know, I'm going to do it, I'm going to go join them, and I'm going to beat it," she said.
One year ago, Jill began her fight against cancer. But her story is about more than survival. It's also about what kind of life lessons a mother can teach a child.
"I want Addy to be able to look back at this time and say, you know what, my mom had one of the hardest things happen to her in her life but she was able to fight it and get through it," she said.
The 5K is happening this Saturday at Library Square, and you can register up until midnight on Friday night. KSL has a huge team participating and we hope you'll come out and join us for this great cause.
