Me and My Warriors
On October 31st, I received the news that I had already known in my heart to be true that I have breast cancer, the irony of the day is not lost on me to receive this scary information.
Upon further testing in late 2022, at the age of 39, I learned that I was BRCA 2 positive and that the breast cancer I was fighting was hereditary. Over the last year, I have had two major surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, and I’m still here.
Years ago, after learning about my family history of breast cancer and losing my grandmother to ovarian cancer, I asked my family doctor about genetic testing to see if I had inherited a genetic mutation. But in the grief I held after losing my father to a heart condition around the same time, I put it off and never followed up. I wish there had been more information and a stronger push on the importance of getting tested for this gene mutation. By the time I found out about it, I was already diagnosed with invasive cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes. I was able to have one preventative surgery, for which I am very grateful.
"Kelly’s Warriors" was a fundraiser that my younger son Ben’s soccer team began as a way to drive awareness and funds in the month of October. His coach, Lizzie, had a conversation with him about what, if anything, he wanted to do as a team to support his mom. Ben suggested wearing something and said if he had $25,000, he would donate it all to research.
So that is what they did. They wore shirts for the month of October and were able to raise $1,785, which is no small feat for a team of 14.
It is important to me and my family to start raising awareness about hereditary cancers, with donations going to BRCAi BC for support groups for BRCA carriers, education on screening options, and prophylactic surgeries available to intervene before a cancer diagnosis. Understanding the statistics and genetics can quite literally save a life, and we are honored to be able to support this.
I think I would leave you with this: Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge has the power to save your life. If you know you have this family history, if you feel in your gut something isn’t right but aren’t being taken seriously, advocate, advocate, advocate. Your health depends on it.
Kelly and the U11 boys' soccer team, image shot at 2023 BRCA in BC Board Meeting