Daffodil Day is a great opportunity to talk about the importance of regular health checks.
Earlier this year, Jo from the one of our Smart Centres had a preventative double mastectomy after having genetic testing of her BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
“People call them the ‘Angelina Jolie genes’ because she put the spotlight on them a few years ago”, said Jo. Testing positive to a faulty BRCA1 gene means a high lifetime risk of breast and ovarian cancer and a 50% chance of passing the faulty gene onto your children.
“If I hadn’t listened to my doctor I’d be telling a very different story today”, said Jo.
A week after her surgery, Jo’s GP told her they found an aggressive tumour in her left breast and she had to undergo four rounds of chemotherapy.
“I still remember the look on my daughter Adrianna’s face when I told her the great news that the tumour hadn’t spread”, Jo said.
“We were so happy!”
Jo said the Cancer Council gave her and her family the tools to help fight her battle with cancer, and she’s now committed to raising money to help others.
“This experience has made me realise how fortunate we are to live in a country that has so much support for people living with cancer and their loved ones.”
Jo’s final advice is to remember to listen to your body. “Get your check-ups done. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. Breast cancer can affect men as well as women.
“Let’s all fight back and kick cancer to the kerb forever.”
More information
Read more about Daffodil Day.
