Angelina Jolie pens powerfully touching essay on her family's struggle with cancer
Angelina Jolie has penned an emotional essay where she opened up about struggling with the loss of her mother to cancer.
The actress’ personal essay was featured in Times and touched on her own personal tragedy of losing her mother and grandmother to cancer, and preventative procedures she elected to have.
"I simply feel I made choices to improve my odds of being here to see my children grow into adults, and of meeting my grandchildren," Jolie explained on her choice to get a preventative double mastectomy and remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
"My hope is to give as many years as I can to their lives, and to be here for them."
The actress shares six children with ex-husband and fellow actor Brad Pitt: Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.
"I have lived over a decade now without a mom. She met only a few of her grandchildren and was often too sick to play with them," Jolie wrote.
"It's hard now for me to consider anything in this life divinely guided when I think of how much their lives would have benefited from time with her and the protection of her love and grace.
“My mother fought the disease for a decade and made it into her 50s. My grandmother died in her 40s. I'm hoping my choices allow me to live a bit longer."
Marcheline Bertrand, Angelina’s mother, died of breast and ovarian cancer at the age of 56 in 2007.
In 2009, Jolie decided to remove her ovarian and fallopian tubes.
However it was not until 2013, after the loss of her aunt who passed away from breast cancer, that she decided to get a double mastectomy done after a genetic test revealed she carried the BRCAI gene.
This meant Jolie had an estimated 87 per cent risk of developing the disease and a 50 per cent risk of getting ovarian cancer.
"People also ask how I feel about the physical scars I carry," Jolie said.
"I think our scars remind us of what we have overcome. They are part of what makes each of us unique. That diversity is one of the things that is most beautiful about human existence."
Jolie ended her emotional essay by touching on the emotional toll and care needed for anyone battling the disease.
"I have learned that when it comes to women's health, medical advances are only one part of the picture" she said.
"Mental and emotional health, and physical safety, are just as important."