Nurse urges early breast cancer screenings as mortality gap persists for Black women

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — For two decades, Lakeitha Rousseau spent her days caring for patients as a registered nurse. She never expected she would have to fight for her own life.She had no warning signs or symptoms when a nagging feeling prompted her to schedule a routine screening.“I had just this little voice saying you need a mammogram,” Rousseau said.The screening revealed Stage 1 breast cancer in 2015. Diagnosed at 37 years old, Rousseau faced the difficult task of telling her two children. Her son offered reassurance, telling her she was one of the strongest women he knew.“I had a moment, but I went into fighter mode at that point,” she said.Rousseau credits early detection with saving her life, and she now pushes back against the hesitation she frequently hears from others.“A lot of people be like, ‘I don’t want to know.’ Why don’t you want to know?” Rousseau said. “Why wouldn’t [you] want to take care of something you can go ahead and take care of?”Her diagnosis also