Emboldened by a friend’s example, Jessica Pickens confronted her BRCA 1 gene and saved her own life
By Brandon Sanders

In 2013, at age 25, Jessica Pickens discovered that she carried the BRCA 1 gene, which gave her a 65% chance of a fatal breast cancer diagnosis. A busy mother of two, she closed her eyes, hoping to forget about the threat. For the next few years, she concentrated on raising her children, Karson and Quinnleigh, all the while praying for a quiet, unannounced deliverance from a cancerous fate. Yet with each fond memory the Pickens family made, the latent terror of breast cancer crept into Jessica’s idle thoughts.

Things changed in 2021, when Jessica picked up Four States Living Magazine’s annual “Fabulous 40 and Under” issue. It showcased Jessica’s old friend Nikki Kitchens Morphew, who carried a similar gene. Jessica picked up her phone and reconnected with Nikki. They spoke at length of Nikki’s challenges and eventual victory over the CHEK 2 gene. Nikki laid out a road map for the journey that lay before Jessica, whether or not Jessica chose to pursue it proactively.

Jessica’s biggest supporters are her family. Pictured left to right are Karson, Jessica, Quinnleigh, and Dalton Pickens at Pike’s Peak in Colorado. submitted photo.

All of her hesitancy faded as she stood at her stepfather’s graveside. Taken suddenly and far too early by an unexpected battle with cancer, he left behind a family reeling with his unanticipated loss. As Jessica wrestled with thoughts of her own mortality, the BRCA 1 gene, and the path in front of her, she looked up to see her two children and husband grieving the loss of their family member. How much worse would it be for them if she also descended into the ground?

“After surgery, I felt very embarrassed of how I looked, but my husband made me feel confident in the decision I had made.”

— Jessica Pickens

At that moment, Jessica decided to meet the possibility of cancer head-on. Taking the advice of Nikki, she called Dr. Yara Robertson at the CARTI Cancer Center in Little Rock. This quickly landed Jessica in Dr. Robertson’s office, where she underwent a vast array of tests and screens, which confirmed the threat to Jessica’s life and revealed a cyst already formed in her breast. Jessica chose to pursue a double mastectomy.

Many people feel that a double mastectomy is a sacrifice of more than just tissue. Understandably, it is a difficult choice to make for many people. For Jessica, however, the decision came easy: she valued her family more than the pain and sacrifice, she said. Still, when she saw her post-op body for the first time, the realization of what cancer stole from her became extremely real.

“After surgery, I felt very embarrassed of how I looked, but my husband made me feel confident in the decision I had made,” she said.

In the following weeks, Jessica dealt with the challenges of recovery and experienced the cost that comes with victory over cancer. Though in immense pain and unable to drive or lift heavy items (or children), she rejoiced in the light of the incredible support rendered by her employer, friends, and family. Throughout her six weeks of post-op recovery, Jessica realized that the decision to save her own life was a seed planted by Nikki’s example.

Desiring to pay it forward, Jessica stepped into a new identity and purpose. She now embraces her mission of raising awareness of the BRCA 1 gene and the proactive, preventative path.

Today, as Jessica looks at herself in the mirror, she no longer sees the fear of cancer or the loss of her breasts. Now, she sees her future, rich with family and friends, driven by purpose, and made possible by courage—both Nikki’s and her own.

In 2013, at age 25, Jessica Pickens discovered that she carried the BRCA 1 gene, which gave her a 65% chance of a fatal breast cancer diagnosis. A busy mother of two, she closed her eyes, hoping to forget about the threat. For the next few years, she concentrated on raising her children, Karson and Quinnleigh, all the while praying for a quiet, unannounced deliverance from a cancerous fate. Yet with each fond memory the Pickens family made, the latent terror of breast cancer crept into Jessica’s idle thoughts.