While it's often viewed as an older or middle-aged woman's disease, breast cancer can strike young women too. As YNN's Matt Hunter reports, a local woman is living proof that early detection and treatment can help overcome even the most shocking diagnosis.

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WILTON, N.Y. – "It was very shocking because at that point, I was thinking about starting a family with my husband and that's where our mind was."

At 28-years-old, breast cancer was not something that ever crossed the mind of Danielle Volks, but that was the exact diagnosis the Glens Falls native received four years ago after finding one lump under her arm and another on her breast.

"Cancer was not something I thought would ever affect me, really,” said Volks, who's now 32. “Especially not breast cancer, which I had associated with being an elderly woman's disease."

Shortly after having the cancer surgically removed, she had her first of eight rounds of chemotherapy, followed by radiation.

While the treatment worked, there were concerns her and her husband's plans of starting a family might no longer be possible.

"My oncologist told us he wanted us to wait two to five years,” Volks said. “At the three year mark, my husband and I decided it was time to start trying to have a family and what would happen would happen."

What happened was William, a healthy son Danielle and her husband welcomed to the world almost eight months ago.

With a living, smiling example of the benefits of good treatment, she's helping raise awareness about prevention and screening at fundraisers like Glens Falls Hospital's "Pink Ribbon Friday," which offers women a double dose of beauty services and vital information.

"It's a very difficult in a woman's life and even in a man's life and this was the best way we could think of to raise money to help support those issues," said Fay Sumner, the sister of a two time breast cancer survivor and the office manager at Glens Falls Hospital’s A Woman’s View in Wilton.

The money raised Friday benefits Glens Falls Hospital's cancer program and its patients. Patients like Danielle Volks, who know a cancer diagnosis can come at the most unexpected of times.

"I could just cry thinking about it,” said Volks, who attended the event with William. “He is the best thing that has happened to me. It was worth every step, every heartache, hardship that we went through.”

Volks and others at Pink Ribbon Friday are also raising funds for this Saturday’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Albany, which begins at 10 a.m. in Washington Park. For more information, visit the official website at makingstrides.acsevents.org .

A similar event is planned for the following Saturday at Queensbury High School.