Meet Karol and Kristina, a mother daughter duo bringing awareness to the BRCA.1 gene and how to live in spite of a horrible prognosis. This family knows breast cancer on a very personal level. Karol, a passionate family historian was able to trace the gene back to her great grandfather. Every single generation of her family has been plagued by this disease and rather than letting fear take over in her own life, Karol and her daughter Kristina took a stand and made a decision to not let the cancer ever have a chance to take residency.
Research shows that Women with a mutation, have up to an 85% lifetime chance of developing breast cancer and up to a 65% chance of a recurrence of breast cancer. They also have a 60% chance of developing ovarian cancer as well. With stats like this, testing positive for BRCA.1 is nothing to mess around with. Both Karol and her daughter, after having tested positive, decided to undergo a complete mastectomy and reconstruction. With their surgeries behind them, they were both very pleased with their results and better still, breast cancer will never be a diagnosis they have to endure!
Both women are avid scrap bookers with a passion for family and memories. In this picture they're holding up a photo of a little girl. That is Kristina's daughter. Their hope is that the gene stops with Kristina, and her baby never has to make the decision she and her mom had to make. But also that science continue to move forward and take the power away from this disease so that if the gene is passed on, medicine of the future will be able to beat this disease before it even starts! Prevention is key. Know your family history, and if you think the BRCA.1 gene might be in your family, get tested! Today, the test is expensive, but there are many organizations to turn to for assistance and advice. And I am sure that if you had questions, Karol would be more than happy to share her story with you herself.
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