Tara is a hard-working single mother of two. In 2012, Tara began to pursue a career as a vet tech and enrolled in classes at Minnesota School of Business-Rochester. She had no idea her greatest challenge yet was just around the corner.
This is Tara's Golden Retriever/St. Bernard mix, Willow. Willow is a well-behaved pup known for her calm, low-key demeanor.
One night while she was studying on her bed, Tara noticed Willow acting strange. No matter how many times Tara commanded Willow to get off the bed, Willow insisted on rubbing her wet nose against Tara's left side.
“She got down on the floor and was sneezing and doing whatever she could, just being weird. Jumped back up on the bed and this time, it was wet slimy and gross and I went to wipe it off and that’s when I felt the lump.”
The lump was breast cancer. The cancer had spread outside the milk duct, but not yet to her lymph node — doctors said it was caught just in time.
Three weeks later, Tara underwent a partial mastectomy, nine months of chemotherapy and radiation. Today, she's cancer-free.
Studies show dogs can detect changes in humans. As a vet tech, Tara believes it’s absolutely possible that Willow detected the cancer before she did.
“They use animals to detect when a seizure is coming on for people who have epilepsy, they can detect heart attacks, whenever a diabetic is low on blood sugar,” she explains.
Doctors recommend women start getting regular mammograms at 40 years old. Tara hopes her story will encourage women turning 40 to not put off getting a mammogram like she did. And it never hurts to get yourself a wonderful dog like Willow, no matter who you are!
What do you think? Did Tara discover her lump because of Willow, or was it just a random coincidence? Let us know, and please SHARE this story with your friends on Facebook!
