A mum has told how she had her breasts and ovaries removed to avoid the 'family curse' which claimed the lives of her mother and grandmother.
Catherine Large knew from a young age that her family had been "cursed" with the BRACA2 gene, which means there is a very high chance of breast cancer.
The disease killed her mum and gran, who both died aged 50, and Catherine was determined to beat the curse, reports Derbyshire Live.
The 49-year-old said: "My family have suffered the curse of breast cancer for many decades - my mum died at 50, so did her mum, so it is something that I have always known about.
"I never knew my grandma, Eunice, she died before I was born. Then when my mum, Jan was 45 she found a lump. She broke the news to me and my sister on New Year’s Eve and by the middle of January she had undergone a mastectomy.
"I was 24 at the time and my sister was 21, it was an awful time, which was followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and eventually remission.
"But a couple of years later, she was being treated for a frozen shoulder and it turned out the cancer had spread to her spine, she had terminal secondary cancer in her bones."
Jan died in St Giles Hospice, in 1998, at the age of 50, the same age as her mother when she passed away.
Catherine, who is self-employed, said: "My sister and I were around mum a lot when she was ill and she told us 'there is no coincidence here'.
"We were both referred to a Family History Clinic under the breast clinic.
The consultants offered us annual appointments, including mammograms, but we were told there were no concerns until we hit our 40s.
"We also saw a geneticist, who looked into our family tree, and agreed we should have genetic testing. At the time this took several years to get results, they came back inconclusive."
Catherine, who lives in Newhall, continued to be seen at the Breast Clinic in Burton annually, and it was something that was always on her mind.
She said: "I knew I was going to get it, I just knew".
Then at one appointment she was informed, thanks to all the research, genetic testing had progressed, and they offered to do it again.
She said: "I had to have counselling before the testing and there were a lot of appointments going to and from Birmingham, where it was explained I had 50/50 chance of carrying the faulty gene".
The results only took weeks, but it was confirmed Catherine was a BRACA2 patient, which meant she had a 98 per cent chance of getting breast cancer.
Following the results, all family members are now invited for screening, and all three that did are carriers, including Catherine’s sister Sarah.
She said: "It's ruthless, I knew I would have the gene and just wanted to do whatever I could to minimise my chances of getting breast cancer."
Catherine said it was a "no brainer" to undergo preventative surgery, after seeing her mum deteriorate, she said "I nursed my mum and I didn’t want to go through that, or for my kids to watch it, or grow up without a mum."
"I had my ovaries removed at the age of 38, which reduces the risk by half, and then 11 years ago had risk reducing bilateral mastectomies with implants.
"It was hard, it was really hard, and a big decision to make, but when you’re told you have 98 per cent chance of getting breast cancer, that was enough to make my decision for me.
"My daughter was only at junior school and my son Tommy, was only two at the time. They couldn't hug me and I couldn't do anything for them, I was in so much pain.
"Luckily my husband Simon was very supportive because it had a massive impact on us.
"Following the surgery I had three lots of infections, so it wasn't an easy time. I still have annual check-ups, as there is still a risk in the remaining breast tissue, where it was picked up an implant had ruptured."
Despite having major surgery, Catherine's worries were not over, as she faced a wait to see if daughter Megan, who is now 18, also had the gene.
She said: "I have always been quite open about it, not to scare them, but to make them aware.
"When Megan turned 18 in January, she was adamant she wanted testing, she had counselling to make sure she understood the implications, which of course she did, she'd visited mummy in hospital, and she knew BRACA2 hadn't missed any female relatives, so she wanted to just confront it head on.
"There were several counselling sessions, followed by the blood test, and I told her that I would throw her the biggest party if she didn't carry the faulty gene.
"Then we got the letter in the post. I had just got back from Tommy's football with my husband, Meg was still in bed after a night out, I had to wake her up to open it.
"I cried and cried, I had to keep reading it over and over again. She doesn't have the faulty gene.
"It meant so much to me, because I would rather go through it all again than watch Meg go through it."
Although Catherine admits the worry will always be there, she said the family now has reason to celebrate.
She said: "I am just grateful that I am here now. I am 49, and if I was my mum, or her mum, I would be dying right now.
"Hopefully me and Meg can be the exceptions."
The 'Pink Party' will raise money for the charity 'Breast Cancer Now', and awareness of the disease.
Catherine has been inundated with donations for the auction, raffle and tombola. She said: "I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone that has helped so far. It means so much.
"I have had incredible donations from Next, Prezzo, Branston Golf and Country Club, The Chesterfield Arms, Snowdome, Georgia French, and 'Beauty by Chelsea'.
"There are so many to mention. This is so important to me and I really hope we can make a difference to the charity."
For more information on the party or to make a donation, click here .
