When wife and mother Jessica Morton-Williams first felt a lump in her armpit in October 2022, she decided to also check her breasts and discovered a tiny bump. She wasn’t too concerned because earlier in the year she had had a mammogram, and nothing showed. Plus, she was only 42, and cancer didn’t run in her family.
To be on the safe side, she saw her doctor. After examining her, she sent Jessica to the Cotton O’Neil Women's Center. “I had another mammogram that October, and it showed something, so then I went for a biopsy in November.”
On November 16, Jessica was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. “I was in shock for a few days, but then I just prayed,” she says.
Shortly after, she was sent to the Cotton O’Neil Cancer Center, where she would come to meet the Center’s comprehensive team. From the moment she met oncologist, Dr. Mehmood Hashmi, he and the staff exuded complete positivity.
“It fed into me being so happy go lucky and thriving throughout my cancer journey,” says Jessica. “Dr. Hashmi was also so knowledgeable about everything.”
Dr. Hashmi was inspired to become an oncologist when he saw how hard cancer patients were fighting for their lives. “Our patients are going through a very rough time, so we want to make sure that we’re there for them when they need us,” he says. “It's a long journey, and the main thing is to walk along with them and make it as easy and comfortable as possible.”
He adds, “Cancer treatments are highly complex, so they need their oncologists and teams to navigate them through the whole process.”
Jessica, he says, is a very positive person. “Whenever I entered the exam room or while taking her to chemo, she was always smiling. It’s very important for patients to be in a positive frame of mind like that.”
Adds Jessica, “Dr. Hashmi has this energy and connection to his patients. He's not there for the money. He genuinely cares, and that just touches my heart.”
It’s been a long road for Jessica, who has gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, but she’s thankful for the support of her husband Antwaun and children. “Antwaun took me to every appointment,” she says. “He was there with me every step of the way.”
As an IT security specialist, he also helped her set up a Facebook page, Make Pink Lemonade, which is all about people who are thriving, not just with cancer, but other challenges as well. She’s also starting an Etsy page soon.
Jessica now takes a chemotherapy pill every day and will do so for two years. She also alternates visits every month with Dr. Hashmi and his nurse practitioner, Robin McKay, who she thinks is wonderful too.
When working with cancer patients, Dr. Hashmi believes medical providers need to have a lot of compassion. They also have to understand the impact cancer has on patients’ families and lifestyles. “It's not just about the cancer, it's about their everyday lives and getting them back to living that life,” he says.
