My Social Impact Initiative, Genetic Testing- Power In Prevention, is a platform that I promote to help educate individuals about their personal risk for hereditary cancers through genetic mutations. Through this advocacy, my goal is to help individuals assess their personal risk and have the opportunity to undergo preventative screenings and surgeries to prevent cancers.

Genetic Testing – Power In Prevention

On January 11, 2018, I received a call that changed my life forever. I had tested positive for the BRCA1 genetic mutation. Shocked and in disbelief, I immediately called my parents to relay the news and to process this information as a family. After all, I was just a college freshman beginning the best four years of my life, as the saying goes. A few months prior, my parents explained that my paternal grandmother, a carrier of the gene, had passed the gene onto my father. Thus, it was pertinent for me to undergo testing as I had a 50% chance of also inheriting the mutation as well. My grandmother has survived breast cancer (twice) and ovarian cancer. She has had two mastectomies, her ovaries removed, numerous other surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. It is a miracle she is alive. I began to ask myself, “Is this going to be my fate?”

Being positive for the BRCA1 mutation means I have an 86% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer and a 67% lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer. One in every 400 women carry a BRCA variant, and sadly this statistic is of low significance due to the small sample size as most women do not undergo genetic testing. Even though I had previously discussed the potential outcomes with my parents and a genetic counselor and knew this was a possibility, I truly wasn’t prepared to receive this news. Being a teenager, I thought I was invincible and would cope well regardless of the news, but I ultimately did not.

After a year of spiraling into a depression and being afraid of my own body, I decided to turn this negative in my life into a positive by getting involved with organizations dedicated to assisting women like myself.  On a whim, I drove to a support group meeting to no longer feel alone in this new hurdle in my life. Upon walking into Carolina Breast Friends – Pink House, a sanctuary for individuals dealing with breast cancer, I knew I was home. The event was hosted by NothingPink – an advocacy group that supports genetic testing and awareness for the BRCA variants. After my first meeting, I knew I not only wanted to continue my relationships with these women, but that I also wanted to become an avid volunteer with NothingPink to help promote knowledge of genetic mutations and encourage others to assess their own personal risk.

To date, I have completed over 500 hours as an intern and volunteer with NothingPink via creating marketing videos, organizing and running support group meetings, and researching future speaking opportunities and community events. Additionally, I conducted a feasibility study at Winthrop University with the help of genetic counselors at Gibbs Cancer Center to spread awareness of genetic mutations and hereditary cancers. Over 70% of the participants were unaware that genetic mutations could be inherited or that there was testing available to determine their genetic risk. Moving forward, I am currently creating a partnership with Invitae – a genetics lab company with locations throughout the Southeast – to assist with education and cash pay options for at-home genetic testing.

I plan to continue to educate others about the risks of hereditary cancers and utilize appearances and speaking engagements to draw potentially lifesaving awareness to this noteworthy cause. It is my mission to help others get ahead of the “pink world” that is breast cancer and empower them with the knowledge to make a life changing assessment of their genetic make-up and take charge of their health overall. Genetic testing saves lives. Know today. Live tomorrow.