MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Sara Jordan of Unityville, left, and her mother Patty Hess of Williamsport enjoy a morning with Jordan’s children Sidney, 5, and Jackson, 3, at Indian Park.

Breast cancer hit Sara Jordan of Unityville at a young age. As the daughter of a mother who experienced the same cancer, she was more than cognizant of the physical and emotional trauma of the disease. “I was 46 when I had breast cancer,” said her mother, Patty Hess. “That was three years ago. She (Jordan) was diagnosed three weeks after I was done with all my treatment.” The diagnosis of Jordan, 31, came some time after she did a self-exam and felt a lump. “I always say I think my mom saved my life,” Jordan said. Self-breast exams are recommended for women as a means of detecting the disease in its early stages. Early diagnosis is among the best means of successfully treating the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Of course, that did not prevent Jordan from undergoing cancer treatment, which amounted to chemotherapy and radiation. In all, she had 28 radiation treatments. She eventually made the tough decision of having a mastectomy, which likely saved her life.