Posted on October 24, 2025
Laurel native, Faye Jackson, has taken care of other people for most of her life. After many years of service as a nurse at Ellisville State School, she continued her calling at home, providing loving care for her daughter, who had a heart condition, and her aging parents. Faye, like many other caregivers, can now admit that in her efforts to care for her loved ones, she often neglected to care for herself.
Faye had no family history of breast cancer, and she consistently did her self-breast exams. She had noticed an area of tissue that seemed abnormal, but she assumed it was nothing serious because it was small.
Faye, who is now a strong advocate for yearly mammograms, recalls missing her scheduled appointment that year in May 2013.
“I was busy taking care of people,” Faye said with a shrug.
In October 2013, her father, William E. Jones, who was 83 at the time, began complaining of pain in his chest area. Faye followed his family doctor’s advice and scheduled a mammogram for him.
Faye decided that to ease her father’s nerves about the test, she would accompany him.
“When he got through his appointment, we left,” Faye said. “Then my friend who just happened to be working in mammography at that time called me and said, ‘Where are you? Come back, you need to have your mammogram.’ She insisted, so I let her make me an appointment for the following Wednesday.”
When the results came in, William’s mammogram was normal—but Faye’s showed signs of breast cancer. She was advised to follow up with a physician.
“I believe that God used my dad to get me to take my mammogram,” Faye said. “If that had not happened and if my friend in mammo had not insisted that I come back for my mammogram, I may not have found my cancer.”
Chad Saul, MD, a general surgeon at South Central Regional Medical Center, performed a biopsy and confirmed the tumor was malignant. He referred Faye to an oncologist at the South Central Cancer Center.
“The oncologist said, ‘it’s cancer and we need to start treatment,’” Faye said. “Once they tell you that you have cancer, you lose it. You do not even know what anyone is saying.”
It was during that difficult time that Faye became especially grateful for the support she received from friends, family and fellow caregivers. She is most thankful for her husband, who stepped in to care for both her and her parents when she could not.
Physicians determined that Faye had stage-two breast cancer. She had a single mastectomy and then quickly began six rounds of chemotherapy in June 2014.
On October 24 of that year, Faye was officially cancer-free, and she got to ring the bell at the Cancer Center.
“Cancer is rough, and you’ve got to have courage,” Faye said. “You’ve got to have courage to go through that, and I must continue to have courage now. I get the same scared feeling every time I take a mammogram. But I trust God.”
Now, 11 years later, Faye is still cancer-free. Faye now celebrates each year on October 24, because she believes that thanks to the grace of God, an early diagnosis and life-saving intervention, she continues to live a vibrant life.
“I tell everyone that I have two birthdays,” Faye said. “I have my birth date and my healing date.”
Faye’s father passed away in 2023, at the age of 93, but she continues to care for her mother, who is now 92. After her personal experience, Faye now understands the importance of continuing to care for yourself while being a caregiver to others.
She remains vigilant regarding her health and sees Sandeep Singh, MD, at the South Central Cancer Center for continued care and monitoring. She urges others to have their yearly mammogram, because doing so can save lives.
To schedule a mammogram, please contact South Central Breast Care Center at 601-426-4090.