When a woman receives a call reminding her to get a mammogram, she’s not expecting the person on the other end to be a teenager. But Cody and Tatijana Marsee, the 16- and 14-year-old children of Indiana resident Tonya Marsee, know how valuable getting screened can be...it saved their mother’s life.

"It was at a yearly check-up [that] I discovered I had a lump and later found out it was thyroid cancer," explained Tonya. "If I had not [gone] for my screenings, I might not be here."

It was as a cancer survivor that Tonya was introduced to the American Cancer Society, which impacted her immensely.

"Right from the beginning I knew I wanted to get heavily involved [with ACS]," said Tonya. "I don’t want anyone to go through what I did, not knowing about ACS when I was going through cancer. I want to get out to the public and make people aware of the different programs ACS offers."

Tonya is now the co-chair for the Relay For Life of Ripley County and a member of the Survivor Cultivation Committee. Her dedication to the fight against cancer is shared by her family. Cody and Tatijana have been co-captains of the Milan Elementary school Relay team for the past two years, and this year they are on the committee helping with activities.

"Volunteering has been a very rewarding experience, and my family has really jumped on board right from the beginning," said Tonya.

While working on mission delivery goals for her Relay team, Tonya had the idea to ask Cody and Tatijana to make Tell A Friend calls.

Tell A Friend is a program designed to help increase breast cancer screening and early detection through regular mammograms. Volunteer callers contact five acquaintances to encourage them to get a mammogram. Cody and Tatijana were more than willing to spread the word about the importance of yearly mammograms, knowing their calls may help save others.

To think of teenagers asking grown women to get their mammograms is a very humbling thought and a reminder that anyone can make Tell A Friend calls. Many women who are age 40 or older have never had a mammogram, and many are not following the ACS recommendations to get one every year. Tell A Friend is a great way to remind those women in your life that need a little encouragement.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in the United States, and finding it early is the best way to control it. Mammograms can find cancer several years before a woman or her physician find it using other screening methods. As Tonya would say, just do it. "It may be uncomfortable, but at least you are alive. It only takes a few minutes once a year."

If you want to learn more about breast cancer or becoming a Tell A Friend volunteer, call your American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Pictured: The Marsee family