LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When 19-year-old Aria Carter felt a small lump in her breast in the spring of 2023, she didn’t think much of it. Months later, a burning sensation in the same area pushed her to get checked — a decision that doctors say may have saved her life.

She went to her OBGYN, who then ordered an ultrasound, which led to specialists who recommended the removal of the tumor. After surgery, the results came back positive for breast cancer — a diagnosis Carter admits she never expected at her age.

“I read it on my chart and I thought, ‘Oh, okay, I have cancer,’” she said. “But I was in denial.”

Carter, who was completing her prerequisites for nursing school at the time, said the diagnosis felt surreal until her doctor explained what treatment would mean — chemotherapy, surgery, a

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