Peggy Hager, a retired teacher in the Coatesville Area School District, found out she had breast cancer in January during her annual mammogram screening, writes Debra Wallace for Main Line Today.

Nine months later, she is sharing her story during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to stress the importance of routine checks.

Hager, 65, had every reason to believe she was perfectly healthy. So when she received the news that she needed to have more images and see a radiologist, she was in shock.

After a biopsy, she learned she had early-stage breast cancer in her ducts. Luckily, she caught it in time, as it had not broken through to her lymph nodes.

Soon after she underwent a mastectomy at Bryn Mawr Hospital’s breast surgical center, followed by implants.

Now, she is hoping her story will encourage other women to follow through with their mammograms, screenings, and other appointments.

“Once I got my breast cancer diagnosis, it felt like the world was coming to an end,” said Hager. “But I realized how lucky I was that I didn’t need radiation or chemotherapy, and I knew immediately that I was in great hands.”

Read more about Peggy Hager and the importance of a mammogram screening in Main Line Today.