Two sisters in their 20s have been diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time in a devastating double blow for their family.
Kate Singletary, 27, had been working towards her dream of becoming a physician assistant when her life was suddenly turned upside down by a shock diagnosis.
What began as a normal day ended with Kate discovering a lump during a night shift sleep – kicking off a medical battle she never imagined facing so young.
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But the nightmare deepened when doctors later found her triplet sister Elizabeth, also 27, had the same disease.
The pair are now undergoing treatment side-by-side, relying on one another as they fight for their lives together.
“I got home from work – I was tired, you know, working the night shift,” Kate told Need To Know.
“I rolled over in bed and noticed something in my breast against my arm.
“I started feeling around and felt a lump.
“Most 27-year-olds don’t expect to have breast cancer.”
Initially overwhelmed, Kate pushed for medical help and underwent a mammogram and further scans.
Doctors confirmed stage-three breast cancer, and aggressive treatment began within two weeks.
Genetic testing at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center revealed Kate carried the CHEK2 mutation – known to heighten breast cancer risk.
As triplets, Kate’s diagnosis immediately raised alarm bells for her siblings.
Elizabeth was tested, found to carry the same mutation, and further imaging confirmed she too had cancer.
Due to their high genetic risk, doctors recommended both sisters undergo double mastectomies.
The pair, from North Carolina in the US, had the life-changing surgery just five days apart, supporting one another through every stage.
Having watched Kate undergo chemotherapy first, Elizabeth said it helped her feel more prepared – especially as her cancer was detected earlier.
The experience has only strengthened their already close bond.
Elizabeth said: “I think we forget how crazy it is.
“It’s like, shoot – I had cancer, and she had cancer.
“We’ve always been close, but going through this has made us even closer and appreciate what we have.”
Reflecting on the past year, she added: “A year ago, I was bald and in my last few weeks of chemo.
“To see the difference now is huge.
“You take things one day at a time – you can do hard things.”
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