The journey that brought Stephany Morales to Canada from Colombia two years ago was fraught with complications thanks to COVID, and multiple visa rejections. But the light that awaited her at the end of the tunnel was well worth it: she joined Applaud as the Senior Manager for Marketing and Communications…and was finally able to reunite with her husband.
“My now-husband and I went five months without knowing when we would see each other again. Coming to Canada was really a leap of faith,” says Steph.
But little did Stephany know that this would soon pale in comparison to the heft of a diagnosis that had been hidden for 31 years in the very code of her DNA.
“I saw the email with my genetic test results pop up on my phone, and the blood drained out of my whole body,” says Stephany. “My stomach dropped.”
Steph discovered this year that she’s a carrier of the Breast Cancer gene mutation BRCA1. She doesn’t produce the proteins needed to help repair damaged DNA, and faces a 70% risk of developing breast cancer and a 40% risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Having seen her older sister go through a diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 35, followed by another relative in their mid-20s getting diagnosed not long afterwards, she didn’t want to wait around to find out whether the slim odds she faced would be in her favour. “My doctor said I could get screenings every six months,” Steph says. “But if I get a positive screening, is it going to change something? I’d lose my hair, my breasts, my health for at least a year.’”
Steph says keeping this diagnosis private was never really an option – she was in a meeting with one of her coworkers when she received her email results, and seeing them burst into tears is part of what made Steph sure it was real. Plus, she says the outpouring of support from her coworkers and the Board at Applaud has helped her raise more than double her goal, over $2,200, for Run for the Cure this year.
“I never cried out of sadness or anger the day that we did the Run,” says Steph. “I cried when I was thanking my team from work for coming, because I never in my life expected that after just two years of getting into Canada, I would receive so much love.”
Steph’s next step will be an elective double mastectomy and partial hysterectomy. She’s what’s known as a previvor – someone who has an elevated predisposition to being diagnosed with cancer due to a risk running through their family, but has chosen to face the struggles of their diagnosis head-on.
“I tell everyone, my friends, my family, ‘It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, have you checked your breasts?’ That’s what I’m doing constantly, and inviting people to schedule yearly screenings, to check their family history, to get tested for the BRCA gene variants. You can get it from either side, it’s not just your mom’s side!”
The journey that has brought Steph from getting her genetic diagnosis confirmed to scheduling her upcoming surgery has been a lonely one at times. But she also says that sharing her story has allowed her to meet other people going through the same things, and to grow a supportive community around her to listen. Steph says that her story is as important as her diagnosis, and that it’s taught her how important advocacy is.
“Even when people say, ‘Why are you doing this if you don’t have cancer yet? Like, you can wait for a miracle.’ The fact that I know beforehand is my miracle. To be able to claim my narrative and to make my own decisions before they’re made for me, that’s my own miracle.”
It’s a miracle she wants for other BRCA1 carriers, too. This October, be sure to check your breasts, or schedule a screening. Early detection is your best tool in fighting cancer.
“My now-husband and I went five months without knowing when we would see each other again. Coming to Canada was really a leap of faith,” says Steph.
But little did Stephany know that this would soon pale in comparison to the heft of a diagnosis that had been hidden for 31 years in the very code of her DNA.
“I saw the email with my genetic test results pop up on my phone, and the blood drained out of my whole body,” says Stephany. “My stomach dropped.”
Steph discovered this year that she’s a carrier of the Breast Cancer gene mutation BRCA1. She doesn’t produce the proteins needed to help repair damaged DNA, and faces a 70% risk of developing breast cancer and a 40% risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Having seen her older sister go through a diagnosis of breast cancer at the age of 35, followed by another relative in their mid-20s getting diagnosed not long afterwards, she didn’t want to wait around to find out whether the slim odds she faced would be in her favour. “My doctor said I could get screenings every six months,” Steph says. “But if I get a positive screening, is it going to change something? I’d lose my hair, my breasts, my health for at least a year.’”
Steph says keeping this diagnosis private was never really an option – she was in a meeting with one of her coworkers when she received her email results, and seeing them burst into tears is part of what made Steph sure it was real. Plus, she says the outpouring of support from her coworkers and the Board at Applaud has helped her raise more than double her goal, over $2,200, for Run for the Cure this year.
“I never cried out of sadness or anger the day that we did the Run,” says Steph. “I cried when I was thanking my team from work for coming, because I never in my life expected that after just two years of getting into Canada, I would receive so much love.”
Steph’s next step will be an elective double mastectomy and partial hysterectomy. She’s what’s known as a previvor – someone who has an elevated predisposition to being diagnosed with cancer due to a risk running through their family, but has chosen to face the struggles of their diagnosis head-on.
“I tell everyone, my friends, my family, ‘It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, have you checked your breasts?’ That’s what I’m doing constantly, and inviting people to schedule yearly screenings, to check their family history, to get tested for the BRCA gene variants. You can get it from either side, it’s not just your mom’s side!”
The journey that has brought Steph from getting her genetic diagnosis confirmed to scheduling her upcoming surgery has been a lonely one at times. But she also says that sharing her story has allowed her to meet other people going through the same things, and to grow a supportive community around her to listen. Steph says that her story is as important as her diagnosis, and that it’s taught her how important advocacy is.
“Even when people say, ‘Why are you doing this if you don’t have cancer yet? Like, you can wait for a miracle.’ The fact that I know beforehand is my miracle. To be able to claim my narrative and to make my own decisions before they’re made for me, that’s my own miracle.”
It’s a miracle she wants for other BRCA1 carriers, too. This October, be sure to check your breasts, or schedule a screening. Early detection is your best tool in fighting cancer.