Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy was a shocker, but since her admission, the 37-year-old actress has been praised for her brave decision. In a recent interview, she said that she feels comfortable with her choice, calling it “the right thing to do f or our family.”
On February 16, Jolie quietly underwent a double mastectomy . It was preventative, and a choice she made after discovering that her genetic chances of developing breast cancer were higher than normal.
This was all due to a “faulty” BRCA1 gene, which set her chances of developing breast cancer at a staggering 87 percent . That, coupled with her mother’s death of ovarian cancer at 56-years-old, convinced Jolie to take preventative steps to make sure she’d be around (and healthy) for her children.
With Brad Pitt by her side, Jolie underwent the surgery at the Pink Lotus Breast Center in Beverly Hills. The operation reduced her chances of developing breast cancer to “under 5 percent.”
She came clean about her decision in a frank op-ed for the New York Times on May 14, explaining that though the choice was “not easy,” she wanted to be “proactive,” and in the end, the choice to get the surgery is “one I am very happy I made.”
“I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer,” Jolie said.
Brad Pitt also praised Jolie for the brave decision. He called her “absolutely heroic,” and admitted that all he wants is “for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”
Jolie will also reportedly have her ovaries removed as well , as she learned that she has a 50 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer, which her mother Marcheline Bertrand died of.
What do you think of Angelina Jolie? Do you think she made the right choice for her family?
[Image via: cinemafestival / Shutterstock ]