Angelina Jolie Fights Back the Real C-word

By Nikki Hipolito on May 15, 2013

Photo taken from justjared.com

Cancer. The word is familiar to everyone, whether one has had personal experience with it or not. Most people would associate this word with fear, despair, or something even as morbid as death. For Angelina Jolie, the word almost seems to not even phase her in regard to these horrific words. For Angelina Jolie, cancer means bravery, courage, and  hope.

On Monday, May 13, Jolie announced having a double mastectomy, spanning over three months of surgery and recovery.

With a faulty gene known as BRCA1, her doctors told her that she had an 87% risk of contracting breast cancer and a 50% chance of contracting ovarian cancer. Today, she has a less than 5% chance of contracting breast cancer after her surgeries. Plans to fight against her risk of ovarian cancer are still to be decided.

The real question, though, is how did she manage to keep this all private and away from the paparazzi and the public news?

Being one of the most famous and noteworthy actresses in Hollywood, it still baffles me how she managed to continue living a normal life without generating any speculation about her procedures from anyone.

Less than two weeks after the beginning of her surgeries, she managed to continue living normally in the public, doing daily activities like taking trips with her children to museums and going to the store for art supplies. She even continued her philanthropy work as a UN Ambassador by taking a trip to the Republic of Congo almost less than a month after her first surgery to visit a rescue camp for women, raising awareness for war-zone rape.

Jolie spending the days with her children during her procedures. Photo taken from eonline.com.

Jolie visits the Republic of Congo only less than a month after her first surgery. Photo taken from usmagazine.com

The award-winning actress and director reveals her journey and her road to recovery in an op-ed she wrote for The New York Times that was published on Tuesday, May 14. She hopes that her article does not scare or frighten others, but that it will be an inspiration for those suffering from cancer, encouraging them to never give up and to fight back, especially  women.

Although many celebrities have fought and successfully beaten cancer, Angelina Jolie is also not the only one to undergo a double mastectomy. Stars such as Giuliana Rancic, Kathy Bates, Christina Applegate, and Sharon Osbourne share that courage with Jolie for their decisions to undergo the procedures.

A standing ovation is called for the actress who shares her story with the public in hopes that it evokes empowerment and motivation for other women who need it. Not only does this bring genetic testing to light, but it also raises awareness for women to take action and understand that there are powerful options. From a woman who lost her own mother to cancer, Angelina Jolie confronts her possible dismal future and changes it for a brighter one.

In her own words, “Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.”

That is the epitome of being fearless. That, my friends, is true inspiration.

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