A woman shared that her dog diagnosed her cancer before doctors discovered the disease.
Breanna Bortner, now 31 years old, found a lump in her breast in 2023. According to her, it took six weeks between the discovery of the lump and the biopsy. During that time, her little dog Mochi seemed obsessed with the spot.
According to Bortner, he had never behaved like that before. “Even when I was sick in the past or going through other things, he never did that, so it was the first time I really realized how in tune he was with my body,” she told FOX News.
The biopsy results soon confirmed that Bortner had breast cancer, but she said she already knew thanks to Mochi. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, he knew the whole time. Before I even knew, and before the doctors knew.'”
Doctors diagnosed Bortner with stage 2B triple-negative invasive ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer with fewer treatment options than other invasive types, according to the American Cancer Society.
That’s because these cancer cells lack the receptors that allow for treatment with hormone therapy. In such cases, surgery is almost always the solution, though chemotherapy can be used first to shrink larger tumors before surgical removal.
After the doctors confirmed the cancer, Bortner said the process moved very quickly. She underwent five and a half months of chemotherapy — a total of 16 sessions.
Bortner, who now writes a blog focused on her journey with breast cancer, said that Mochi continued to be her source of strength and comfort throughout treatment.
Simple tasks like feeding him or taking him for a walk helped her get off the couch and keep going. When Bortner slept for long periods or sometimes cried, the dog was always there to comfort her.
“At the time, he was only 2 years old. And I thought, ‘I can’t leave this Earth before you. No way. I’m supposed to be the one to bury you. You shouldn’t have to lose your human mom.'”
Bortner finished her cancer treatment about a year ago. Today, she offers support to others going through the same experience, serving as a source of information about what to expect and how to move forward.
“It brings a smile to my face when things come full circle — and now I’m on the other side, guiding people on their cancer journeys,” she concluded.
Photo and video: Breanna Bortner. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
