LOS ANGELES _ Alejandra Campoverdi forged a path for herself that some only dream of, turning humble beginnings into a life of poise and power.
She had been that perfect student who made it to the University of Southern California and then Harvard against all odds. She turned a volunteer position with then-Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign into a post at the White House.
She added high-profile media jobs with Univision and the Los Angeles Times to her resume and made a mighty but unsuccessful run for Congress. In campaign materials, Campoverdi was a natural, flashing a smile with her head held high, her silky brown hair primped just right.
She did all this despite the disadvantages she faced having been the daughter of immigrants, raised on welfare. But something was looming in Campoverdi's life, in her blood, that had the power to take all of that away.
Breast cancer was attacking every woman in her life.
The disease stole her great-grandmother Maria Elena Uribe when she was in her 70s. It came after her grandmother in her 60s and then her mother at age 49. One aunt survived cancer a few years ago; another just finished treatment in February.
It seemed only a matter of time before it came for her. But Campoverdi's approach to the deadly disease typified a generational shift. While others in her family ignored a lump, or let the doctors take the lead, Campoverdi said she decided to become "the CEO of her own body."
In 2014, Campoverdi tested positive for a mutation in her BRCA2 gene, confirming what she already knew: A high risk of breast cancer ran in her blood.
Campoverdi dove into researching and consulting with doctors about what she should do next. She met with the man who discovered BRCA2 gene mutations and interviewed him for a documentary on the subject that she executive produced. She launched initiatives to make sure the path for others behind her would be a little bit easier.
Through social media, Campoverdi memorialized each step of her breast cancer crusade and agreed to let Times journalists chronicle her medical journey over many months. Last fall, at age 39, she decided to go forward with a double mastectomy that would reduce her risk of getting cancer from 85% to less than 3%.
Tests failed to find any traces of disease in her body, but Campoverdi decided she was going to get breast cancer before it got her.
