Actress Angeline Jolie revealed that she underwent a secret double mastectomy after learning that she was a carrier of the BRCA1 gene, which increased the chance of her getting breast cancer to 87 percent.
The revelation was made today, after Jolie underwent three months of secret procedures starting February 2 and ending April 27. She had the initial removal on February 16, and had the reconstruction operation on April 20.
The actress revealed that she had the procedure done for the sake of her own children, after her own mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away aged just 56 from ovarian cancer. The procedure reduced Jolie's chance of developing cancer to under 5 percent.
A source to close to Jolie and Brad Pitt told People magazine that the couple tried to keep everything normal for their children as she underwent the procedure. "Things have appeared normal. The kids have kept their schedules as usual. They have been in school during the day and have attended after-school activities like they always do."
In a piece published by the New York Times titled "My Medical Choice" , Jolie wrote: ''I am fortunate to have a partner, Brad Pitt, who is so loving and supportive. So to anyone who has a wife or girlfriend going through this, know that you are a very important part of the transition. Brad was at the Pink Lotus Breast Center, where I was treated, for every minute of the surgeries.We managed to find moments to laugh together. We knew this was the right thing to do for our family and that it would bring us closer. And it has."
Pitt revealed that he was proud of Jolie, in a statement released to The Evening Standard. "Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie's choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family."
Jolie wrote: "My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87% to under 5%. I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer."
Many have hailed Jolie's decision to undergo a mastectomy as courageous. "She is a courageous lady and a very professional lady," Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News. "She gave no sign that she was undergoing such treatment and I think she's a very brave lady, not only to carry on with her work so well during such treatment, but also to write about it now and talk about it. I think that she's a brave lady and will be an inspiration to many."
Jolie's mother Marcheline Bertrand was an American actress and producer. She was married to actor Jon Voight and had two children together – James Haven and Angelina Jolie. They later separated and finalized their divorced after 9 years. Bertrand passed away on January 27, 2007 after battling ovarian cancer for eight years.
Jolie named her daughter Vivienne, who was born in 2008 with her twin brother Knox, the middle name Marcheline in honor of her mother.
