Country singer-songwriter Jillian Cardarelli has taken to social media to encourage women to get regularly checked for breast cancer, following her diagnosis back in May.

Cardarelli, the artist behind songs like ‘Over You Hangover’ and ‘Happily Even After’, shared exclusively with People that she had been diagnosed with Stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. Now, Cardarelli has offered fans an update via social media, underlining that the first major milestone in her treatment journey has been completed.

Cardarelli outlines, “The first big step is behind me 💪🏼 Now it’s time to heal while we wait for the next step in my treatment plan. Thank you to the incredible team at Dana-Farber for your kindness, compassion, and support throughout such a challenging and stressful process. I’m truly so grateful to be in your care”.

The Crossroad Springs actor goes on, “Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me, checked in, and lifted me up. One day at a time”, before adding a word of advice for other girls and women considering getting a check-up, “As always… #CheckYourGirls”.

During her People interview, Cardarelli explains how cancer does not discriminate and that women should consider getting checked more regularly, even if you're only 33, like Cardarelli, and you assume it's not something you need to worry about.

Cardarelli muses, “If breast cancer can happen to an otherwise healthy young woman with no family history of breast cancer, negative genetic testing, and 7 years before routine screening is recommended, it can happen to anyone. My hope is sharing this journey encourages other young women to get familiar with their bodies, trust their instincts, advocate for themselves, and never ignore something if it feels off. While this diagnosis has challenged me in every way imaginable, it has never shaken my faith. I don’t have all the answers yet, and I know the road ahead will continue to evolve, but I’m taking it one step at a time and trusting God. Through it all, I still wake up every day grateful for the gift of another day”.

The popular artist, who was gearing up to film the second season of Crossroad Springs when she received her diagnosis, stresses, “You know your body better than anyone. Trust your instincts and remember: you are the CEO of your own health”.

Cardarelli adds that it was her unusual and persistent sense of tiredness that helped motivate her to get checked out, “I’ve had areas in my breasts that have been diagnosed with dense fibrous tissue since I was 25 years old that I’ve been getting looked at by ultrasound a couple of times, but nothing was ever seen. But then, I felt something a little different to me. I knew my body. I was a little more tired”.

It's safe to say Cardarelli's fans and her fellow members of the country music community will all be sending thoughts and prayers her way as she continues her treatment plan.

In the meantime, Cardarelli will be hoping her words of encouragement for other women thinking about getting checked will help to bring about more early cancer diagnoses that are, in turn, easier to manage than those caught at a later stage.

Various studies show that patients who are diagnosed relatively early (i.e. Stage I and II) have almost double the 10-year survival rate of those diagnosed at a more advanced stage (Stage III and IV), highlighting the importance of Cardarelli's message.