October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and our family has quickly become aware of the unexpected effects of the disease.

As you may know, we lost our loving mother Patrina M. Jackson on Tuesday, October 18th. She fought a very brief battle with metastatic breast cancer. Sadly, our mom suffered in silence before seeking treatment and eventually sharing her initial diagnosis with us. To protect us from worrying, she put off having treatment and a needed a mastectomy. Her condition aggressively spread to her liver and lungs before any of us knew, including my mom.

We were shocked and saddened that she would never return home after a September 12th chemotherapy treatment. During her treatment, what appeared to be shortness of breath led to the scans and discovery of the advanced lung cancer that affected her most. When she called us the day after being admitted to the hospital she thought that she would be discharged the very next day. Her breathing difficulty quickly became life-threatening. We were hopeful that her September 25th lung surgery would extend our time with her, but three weeks later she's gone.

We know that she loved her three children more than anything and fought to live until she took her last breath after one day at a hospice.   She meant the world to us and  gave us the best of her.

Please help us to return her undeniable love and loyalty to her children, family and friends with a proper funeral and burial next weekend. My nine month old son Adrian, fourteen year old sister Sanaia and older brother Dominick will be forever grateful.

We need and appreciate your support, but also share our mother and family's experience in support of Breast Cancer Awareness to encourage early treatment.