Sometimes it’s easy to think the life of a celeb is so much … easier. But it’s never easy. Life, that is. I don’t care who you are. It’s always a wild ride of ups and downs, highs and lows. Most recently this is evidenced by the fierce yet stunning cover of the March 14 Entertainment Weekly, featuring Angelina Jolie, and the story inside of how she overcame potential threats to her health. Jolie also admits that the battle to stay healthy is far from over. In fact, the “Maleficent” star confirmed she will have more cancer-preventive surgery.
For her brave decision and bold actions, Jolie became a health star last year. Last May, the 36-year-old mother of six had both of her breasts removed in a double mastectomy, after doctors confirmed she had a certain gene mutation that put her at exceptionally high risk for breast cancer.
Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died from ovarian cancer at the age of 56, after having fought the disease for 10 arduous years.
As a result of Jolie’s family medical history, and inherited genes, doctors estimated that the Oscar-winning actress had an 86 percent chance of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer.
Jolie was found to have the BRCA1 gene mutation. At this time, that’s a drastic finding, because it often means treatment choices are rather limited and bleak, typically having the breasts and/or ovaries removed, Professor Hani Gabra, Director of the Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, told the BBC.
Still, the star remains upbeat and positive, on a fearless mission to stay healthy, saying she has been “very, very moved by the support and kindness” shown to her from so many. The public has shown an outpouring of sympathy and support toward Jolie. Her partner, Brad Pitt, has called her brave, forward-acting decision “heroic.” Indeed it is, and her willingness to go public has also had an important benefit. The benefit of facing your medical fears head-on is that you can take preventive steps to block the disease from ever taking hold of your body.
