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Teen cancer survivor speaks to high school students

Posted at 11:41 AM, Oct 31, 2012
and last updated 2012-10-31 22:25:57-04

SANDY, Utah - A teen survivor of breast cancer spoke to students at Jordan High School about her experience on Wednesday.

Morgan Watson, 18, was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 15 years old.

"I got the phone call that I had breast cancer, and from there my entire life changed. I didn't go to school anymore, I was in hospitals most of the time, doctors became my new friends, pretty much how I was forced to grow up," Watson said.

Watson began chemotherapy just two days before her 16th birthday. She then had surgery and radiation treatments. She missed much of her junior year at Herriman High School.

Watson has been cancer free for two years. However, she continues to be checked every three months because she has a gene that makes her more susceptible to cancer.

Watson has teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She is speaking to other teens, specifically young girls, about the importance of self-administrated exams to identify signs of possible cancer.