Hi, my name is Savannah, and I am 28 years old. It has taken a lot of time and consideration to share my story and ask for assistance for one of the hardest, most vulnerable, and nerve-wracking decisions of my life thus far.

 

As many know, my family is no stranger to cancer. My dad's sisters have battled aggressive breast cancer and ovarian cancer numerous times. Their first rounds of breast cancer appeared during their early 30’s and after numerous rounds of cancers, our doctors decided to test all the siblings for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. For those who are unaware, these genes put women at up to a 90% higher risk than the average women of getting breast and/or ovarian cancer.

 

Every single sibling tested positive for BRCA1, which is unheard of in itself. After testing positive my aunts have all undergone surgeries to remove these body parts. Another factor with this gene is if you have it, you have a 50% chance of passing it down to your children. When my father and his sisters tested positive, then the children were tested.

 

I tested positive for BRCA1 when I was 21 and given the nature of my family's cancer history, doctors have put me in the highest risk category. At the time of my positive test result, I didn't fully understand what this meant because at that young age nothing could really be done. At 25 I began screenings (breast MRI's, ovarian ultrasounds, etc.). However, in the past two years my dad was diagnosed with cancer and went through brutal rounds of chemo and radiation and still has lasting effects from treatment.

 

After seeing everything my family has gone through because of this horrible disease I have made the decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy to reduce my risk of getting breast cancer by over 90%. I was finding myself stressing every single day that I would wake up and have cancer, or if I ate too much red meat, or didn't exercise every day, then the cancer would come sooner. It wasn't a question of if, it was a question of when. I am very scared, but I have the knowledge of this genetic mutation and can do something about it before it’s too late, an opportunity many women do not get.

 

Unfortunately, this comes with substantial medical expenses. I will be undergoing multiple surgeries, numerous doctor's visits, various oncology physical therapy sessions, and other specialty visits based on my recovery. It is challenging for me to write this and ask for assistance, as I am a very private person and pride myself in my independence. However, I have also realized that I am surrounded by a community of people who are supportive and caring enough to want to help. I could not have made this decision without my wonderful family, fiancé, friends, and I can only hope that I can contribute to others in similar situations during their time of need.

 

I currently am cancer-free, and I hope to stay that way for the rest of my life! Any contributions would be incredibly meaningful and helpful in supporting my medical expenses and recovery.

 

Thank you for listening to my story and thank you for the love that you have shown my family and I throughout the years when my family has dealt with multiple rounds of cancer. I am forever thankful to the kindness and outpouring of love from our family and friends.