Angelina Jolie is paying tribute to her mother on World Ovarian Cancer Day with a sweet throwback photo and an important message to all.
“Tomorrow would have been my mother’s 73rd birthday. She passed away 15 years ago, after a long struggle with breast and ovarian cancer,” the Oscar-winner and humanitarian wrote on Instagram.
Jolie’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died in 2007 at age 56 after an eight-year battle with cancer.
“In June, I will be a month away from the age when she was diagnosed. I have had preventive surgeries to try to lessen chances but I continue to have check ups,” she continued.
In 2013, the mother of six famously detailed her decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy after learning she had an 87 percent of developing breast cancer. She also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed after discovering her risk for ovarian cancer was 50 percent.
“Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could,” she wrote in a New York Times article.
“I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.”
The actress also lost her aunt and grandmother to cancer.
Jolie ended her posting by sending love to all of those impacted by cancer and urging everyone to get screened.
“Sending my love to those who have also lost loved ones and strength to those who are fighting at this very moment for their lives and the lives of those they love,” she wrote. “And to other women, please take the time to look after yourself and go for your mammograms and blood tests or ultrasounds, particularly if you have a family history of cancer.”
It’s so important to keep on top of medical screenings and know your family’s health history. It could save your life.
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