CONVENT -  Veronica Jones had regular mammograms for years but took a break after years without a diagnosis. When a close friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided to get checked.

That decision led to the discovery of a mass in her left breast. With four daughters and grandchildren, Jones worried about what would happen to her family. 

Jones began chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the mass before surgery, and she lost her hair during treatment.

"I may be bald, but I'm still living," Jones said.

Surgery removed the mass without removing her breast.

"I learned to take what was bad to me and made the good out of it, and I am two years cancer-free," Jones said.

After a work-related injury forced Jones to step away from construction, she spends much of her time at home writing and crafting personalized T-shirts and cups with inspirational messages. Veronica's experience is a reminder that breast cancer does not always come with obvious warning signs. Screenings can help detect cancer before symptoms.

She hopes to launch a nonprofit within the next year and use her love of crafting to inspire and support others facing their own cancer journeys.