When an eight-year-old girl from Utah discovered a lump on her chest last month, she did what any child would do under the circumstances and let her mum and dad know about it.
Concerned for their daughter Chrissy's welfare, Troy and Annette Turner sought professional help and were, after a number of tests, dealt a devastating blow - their little girl had the rarest form of breast cancer.
Chrissy was diagnosed with Secretory Breast Carcinoma which affects approximately 1 in 1,000,000 adults and makes her one of the youngest people in the world to suffer from the disease.
Commenting on Chrissy's heartbreaking diagnosis, family friend, Melissa Papaj, acknowledged the rarity of the child's case, explaining: "No specialist across the country has even seen this type of cancer in a child so young."
This is unfortunately not the family's first experience of cancer, with Chrissy's dad currently battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Chrissy's mother having fought and overcome cervical cancer.
Speaking to Good Morning America, Annette expressed her disbelief at her little girl's diagnosis, saying: "I was in shock. No child should ever have to go through cancer."
Opening up about Chrissy's prognosis on the family's GoFundMe page, Melissa explained: "They are currently in a 'watch and wait' state as the cancer slowly grows, visiting the oncologist every three months for a full exam and blood work."
Highlighting the financial pressures which have been placed on a family already under considerable emotional strain, Melissa continued: "All the while, medical bills are continuing to pile up, forcing them to file bankruptcy in July 2013, but even after bankruptcy, bills continue to flow."
Chrissy is due to undergo a mastectomy in December which will remove breast tissue in order to prevent the disease from returning.
In a display of considerable strength, Chrissy's mum, Annette. insisted that the diagnosis would not weaken their family unit, asserting; "We're going to fight this as a family."
Our thoughts go out to the Turner family at this time.
