Leah Mandeltort

After hearing about the BRCA1 gene in 2012/3, my mother started questioning the early deaths of the women in her family. After getting the test herself, she encouraged I to follow suit.

At the age of 24, I was tested positive for the BRCA1 gene. They put the fear in me that once I reach a certain age, my risk of getting cancer rises 40% more than the general public.
They told me that I needed to consider things like my life plan, freezing my eggs, and eventually getting a mastectomy and my ovaries taken out to reduce my risk.

They also told me that Ovarian cancer is pretty much undetectable until it's in its final stages. Therefore, women, like grandmother, didn't stand a chance against the disease.

Ever since the diagnosis, I receive annual MRIs and check-ups with doctors.

Fast-forward years later, the doctor told me they detected another lump in my breast, to which I asked "when did you detect the first!?"

Luckily, my cancer scare was just that. However, there are many women - like my grandmother - who aren't so fortunate.

These are women - mothers, daughters, wives - who are loved and have a life ahead of them, careers to build and goals they want to achieve. These are women who've had their lives cut short because of cancer.

I am doing Frocktober for them, and hoping for a day without awful scares like the one I experienced. I am doing this for every woman. x