Breast cancer sonogram ‘saved’ model Jill Goodacre’s life

Singer/actor Harry Connick, Jr. and his wife Jill Goodacre have a sonogram to thank for saving the former model’s life after helping to detect her breast cancer.
The ex-Victoria’s Secret stunner, 53, was diagnosed with a Stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma in 2012, and she had to undergo a lumpectomy followed by radiation treatment.
Jill only went public with the health crisis in October (17), five years after beating the disease, and now she is using her experience to encourage other women to seek more than just a routine mammogram, especially if they have dense breast tissue.
“My message is if you have dense breasts, ask your doctor and get a sonogram,” she explained on breakfast show Good Morning America, “because my breast cancer was not detected with a mammogram, and a sonogram saved my life…”
Harry admitted Jill’s cancer scare made him prioritise his health and that of his loved ones, and now they are both highlighting the importance of early detection for another common kind of disease – colon cancer.
The stars, who share three daughters together, have become spokespeople for The New 50, a public education campaign targeted at those 50 and older to get regular screenings for the disease, while they are also advocating for the use of Cologuard, a modern, non-invasive kind of testing which can help to detect early signs of the illness, although it’s not a substitute for a colonoscopy.
Harry, who lost his mum to ovarian cancer when he was just a teen, said, “If you’re not healthy, your whole life is gonna be sent into a state of disarray, so my mother’s death kinda put me on a different path, Jill’s cancer diagnosis put me on another kinda path. I just wanna make sure this hero of mine (Jill) is healthy, and anything that comes after that is bonus already.”
And the musician, who turned 50 last September (17), has heaped praise on his wife of 24 years for opening up about her breast cancer experience in a bid to help others.
“I’m so proud of you (Jill) for doing this,” he shared, “because Jill’s very, very private, so it’s an amazing thing.”