Clare Napier

Why October is important to me

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year I would like to share my story and why this month means so much to me. 

My beautiful mother, Chiyoko, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, at just 41 years old.

After her fight against cancer, she sadly passed away in 2006 when I was 5 years old. She was just 44 years old and left behind my dad, my older sister, my older brother and me. My grandmother also passed away from ovarian cancer at 80 years old.

Because of my strong family history of breast and ovarian cancer, I underwent genetic testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 is a genetic mutation that increases your risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. For women with BRCA1, the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is approximately 65–80%, compared with about 13% for women in the general population. The risk of ovarian cancer is approximately 35–60%, compared with about 1–2% in the general population.

Just a few days after turning 24 years old, I found out I was positive with the BRCA1 mutation.

Receiving that news was incredibly confronting. I was anxious, overwhelmed and unsure of what it meant for me, my health and my future.

I was faced with two pathways. The first was to undergo regular breast screening and examinations every six months, knowing that one day I could potentially be told that something had been found, or undergo a preventative double mastectomy with reconstruction to significantly reduce my breast cancer risk.

After lots of research, consultation with surgeons and genetic specialists, support from family and friends and understanding my options, I decided to go down the surgical procedure route. It was an incredibly scary and confronting decision to make, however I also knew how fortunate I was to have the option.

Three surgeries, many appointments and plenty of tears (happy and sad) later, I am incredibly grateful that I was able to make this decision for my future.

Knowledge is power. I had been given knowledge about my body and my future that my mum and grandma never had the opportunity to receive. With that knowledge came the ability to take preventative action.

I share my story in the hope that it encourages conversations about family history, genetic testing, breast and ovarian cancer awareness and the importance of advocating for your own health.

Most importantly, I share it in honour of my beautiful mum. There isn’t a single day that goes by where I don’t think about her. I would give anything to hold her again, for her to see the person I’ve become and to have her here for all the moments she never got to experience.

Hold your loved ones close. Learn your family history. Listen to your body. Look after yourself and never take your health for granted.

If sharing my story encourages even one person to ask questions about their family history, speak to their doctor or consider genetic counselling and testing, then sharing something so personal has been worth it.

This October, I am hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast event and fundraising throughout the month. All funds raised will go towards breast cancer research and help NBCF towards their vision of Zero Deaths from breast cancer. I do it for my mum, my grandma, myself and every person and family affected by breast and ovarian cancer.

Please support me by donating to my online fundraising page to help me reach my goal.