33-Year-Old Country Singer Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Jillian Cardarelli is facing an unexpected battle. The 33-year-old country singer and actress was recently diagnosed with stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma, a form of breast cancer.

“One minute you’re focused on filming schedules, scripts, music and everything,” Cardarelli told People. “And the next thing is doctors, scans, pathology reports and words I’d never even [heard before]. I feel like I’m learning a new language.”

Cardarelli told the outlet that she’s long had dense areas in her breasts that doctors have kept an eye on. However, she knew something was amiss when she felt a lump.

“Something in my gut was like, ‘This feels a little bit different to me,’” she said. “That’s when I went and I got checked out and I found out that it was a malignant tumor.”

In the wake of her diagnosis, Cardarelli said she’s feeling both “fear and sadness.”

“I’m like, ‘Why did this happen?’ I do not fit the profile of somebody that should get cancer at 33 years old,” she said. “So yes, there’s a little bit of anger there. But I’m not angry at God. I’m leaning on Him more than ever.”

Another “unfair” aspect of the situation, Cardarelli said, is the fact that her mother, who battled colon cancer for 12 years, “has to now help her daughter navigate this.”

Jillian Cardarelli Speaks About Her Future Amid Cancer Battle

While Cardarelli’s treatment plan is still being finalized, she said she’ll likely undergo surgery as step one.

“They are confident this can be eradicated and I will hopefully live a very long, normal and healthy and happy life,” Cardarelli said of her doctors. “I’m just trying to take things truly one day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time, and somehow stay in the moment as I absorb all this life flipping on its head within the last few weeks.”

As she begins this challenging new chapter, Cardarelli said she trusts “that something good will come from this.”

“My hope is that young women hear my story and understand the importance of knowing their bodies, trusting their instincts and advocating for themselves,” she said. “If sharing my story encourages even one young woman to advocate for herself, listen to her body, or get checked sooner, then I believe there is purpose in this.”

Cardarelli further reflected on her diagnosis in an Instagram post, writing, “If breast cancer can happen to an otherwise healthy young woman with no family history of breast cancer, negative genetic testing, and 7 years before routine screening is recommended, it can happen to anyone.”

“I’m incredibly thankful for my husband, family, and friends, who have walked alongside me every step of the way. As for my parents, I hit the parent lottery, to say the least,” she added. “I also feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by a medical team I trust implicitly.”

Cardarelli concluded her post by writing, “You know your body better than anyone. Trust your instincts and remember: you are the CEO of your own health.”

Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images