On the morning of Tuesday, May 14th, 2013, Angelina Jolie revealed she had a double mastectomy. Writing an op-ed for the New York Times called “My Medical Choice,” the Mr. and Mrs. Smith actress revealed she took this difficult step to prevent getting breast cancer.
She writes:
My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman.
Only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation. Those with a defect in BRCA1 have a 65 percent risk of getting it, on average.
Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could.
Now that’s what we call fighting cancer. Today, Jolie revealed to the world that she is a survivor.
Throughout the test of time, women have proved over and over again that they can survive anything. Here is a list of true female survivors, not just breast cancer, but whatever life throws their way.
Pam Grier was sexually abused on two different occasions in her life. She was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 1988 and credits Chinese medicine to helping her beat it. At age 39, she was also diagnosed with cervical cancer, not to mention it was publicized that she stopped having unprotected sex with Richard Pryor due to cocaine in his semen.
Giuliana Rancic has had a long battle with cancer. She also underwent a double mastectomy and almost died trying to have a child. It was that very struggle trying to conceive a child which led to her diagnosis. Now, Giuliana and her husband Bill have a son with the help of a surrogate.
Liza Rios, the wife of Big Pun, was the victim of domestic violence. While many people have their own opinions about Liza and her motives, you can’t deny the fact that she is a survivor. She was hit in the face with a mac 10 gun.
Wanda Sykes had to overcome two mountains in her life. Coming out to her family, friends and colleagues, and breast cancer. Wanda, like Angelina, also has a family history of breast cancer, so she also opted for a double mastectomy.
Robin Roberts is a real survivor. Not only did she beat breast cancer in 2012, she had to have a bone marrow transplant after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called MDS. Then recently while on vacation in Key West, Robin had to be rushed to the hospital because she became ill. This lady still continues to fight and is considered one of the most trusted news anchors on TV.
Ebony Canion is a widow of four children. Her husband was killed in car crash. Then in June of 2012, she was struck by a car and dragged 200ft. She documented her progress on Instagram for over 30,000 followers. Ebony discussed her horrific injuries: “had a broken leg, pelvis, and dislocated spine (which needed titanium and rods in them) also 7 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, my left side of my face was ripped up, I nearly but my tongue off and it needed to be sewn back on, I lost 3 teeth, the skin on my back was ripped of (road burn) and needed a skin graph, a fractured shoulder and jaw and a small amount of blood on my brain.”
Young surfer prodigy Bethany Hamilton survived a shark attack. She lost her arm, but didn’t let that stop her from returning to professional surfboarding. Just last week, she was spotted hitting the waves.
Petra Nemcova survived the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. She escaped with a shattered pelvis, but she lost her husband, who was missing for 3 months before being presumed dead. Petra recalls that she and Simon Atlee were in their bungalow when the first wave hit. People were running away and screaming, she said. “It was just so … surrealistic.” Then the water flooded their bungalow and pulled them outside in seconds. “Simon was just saying, ‘Petra, Petra, what’s going on?'”
Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight survived 10 years locked up and raped in the house of Ariel Castro before being rescued last week. They are true survivors!
