Angelina Jolie's aunt dies of breast cancer days after actress' mastectomy op-ed
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- Published on Monday, 27 May 2013 04:39
- Written by FOX News
Less than two weeks after Angelina Jolie revealed she'd had a double mastectomy to avoid breast cancer, her aunt died from the disease Sunday.Debbie Martin died at age 61 at a hospital in Escondido, Calif. near San Diego, her husband, Ron Martin, told The Associated Press.Debbie Martin was the younger sister of Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, whose own death from ovarian cancer in 2007 inspired the surgery that Jolie described in a May 14 op-ed in the New York Times.According to her husband, Debbie Martin had the same defective BRCA1 gene that Jolie does, but didn't know it until after her 2004 cancer diagnosis."Had we known, we certainly would have done exactly what Angelina did," Ron Martin said in a phone interview.Debbie Martin's death was first reported by E! News.Ron Martin said after getting breast cancer, Debbie Martin had her ovaries removed preventively because she was also at very high genetic risk for ovarian cancer, which has killed several women in her family.The 37-year-old Jolie said in her op-ed that her doctors estimated that she had a 50 percent risk of getting ovarian cancer but an 87 percent risk of breast cancer so she had her breasts removed first, reducing her likelihood to a mere 5 percent.She described the three-step surgical process in detail in the op-ed "because I hope that other women can benefit from my experience."The story, a surprise to most save those closest to Jolie, spurred a broad discussion of genetic testing and pre-emptive surgery.
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Angelina Jolie's Aunt Battling Breast Cancer For Second Time
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- Published on Monday, 27 May 2013 17:48
- Written by Starpulse
Angelina Jolie's mother wasn't the only inspiration behind her recent double mastectomy -- the actress's aunt has revealed that she developed breast cancer for the second time last year.Jolie's mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56, and now Bertrand's sister, Debra Martin, has revealed her own battle with the disease prompted her to push Angelina to take action and prevent herself from developing either breast or ovarian cancer in the future.Martin was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2004 and underwent a lumpectomy, which put her in remission. But the disease returned stronger last year."I believe [what Angelina did] was the right thing to do," Martin tells The National Enquirer. "I think it has reduced her chances of getting breast cancer dramatically. If I had informed myself better before I got breast cancer, I would have made the same decision."Jolie underwent the double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in February after finding out that she inherited the "faulty" BRCA1 gene, which increases a woman's likelihood of getting breats and ovarian cancer in their lifetime, from her mother's side of the family.The Salt star isn't 100% clear of getting either disease, however, she did decrease her chances of getting breast cancer from 87% to less than 5%. She'll undergo another surgery to have her ovaries removed later this year in order to decrease her chances of getting ovarian cancer, which she's currently at a 50% risk of developing.Bertrand's former partner, filmmaker Bill Day, also says he's glad Angelina opted for the preventive procedures, praising her aunt for her own attempts at cancer prevention."Debra is the unsung heroine of this story because she was the first woman in the Bertrand family to attempt preventative surgery," he says. "She has been a shining example to Angelina."
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James Haven, on Sister's Mastectomy: "She Makes a Difference in Our World"
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- Published on Monday, 27 May 2013 17:39
- Written by E online
In times of crisis, family is everything.Which is why it's no surprise that Angelina Jolie's brother James Haven is speaking out exclusively to E! about his sister's decision to have a double mastectomy."There is no question Angelina makes a difference in our world by bringing awareness to so many causes," he tells E! in an exclusive statement. "Her compassion for humanity alone always makes me honored to call her my sister."In keeping with Jolie's legacy of service, James and Angelina are currently working on a film together called Court of Conscience. James is directing and Angelina is producing.The film is a huge priority for the siblings who want to make an impact on current laws about child advocacy and helping to change laws at a state and local level.Court of Conscience is clearly a labor of love for Haven, founder of the CoreCause Foundation, an organization whose sensibility clearly informs the film. "The fundamental belief of CoreCause is to focus on a preventative rather than recovery stand point. Most of the worlds crises are the effects of a 'core cause' that if addressed would solve the problem entirely."
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Billy Bob Thornton Straight-Faced After Huge Angelina FLUB
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- Published on Monday, 27 May 2013 17:39
- Written by TMZ
Billy Bob Thornton should get an award for his reaction to his ex-wife Angelina Jolie undergoing a most likely lifesaving double mastectomy.Billy, who was married to Angelina from 2000 to 2003 ... said she "deserves absolutely the best in every way. She always has, she always will in my book."Watch the clip, Billy has more kind and totally appropriate words for Angie -- but it's impressive because the camera guy started out by asking ... "Have you talked to Angie since the double vasectomy?"An honest mistake, but still ... kudos to Billy.
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Angelina Jolie's Brother, James Haven, Speaks Out Against Child Abuse
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- Published on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 04:23
- Written by E online
It appears that humanitarian efforts are in the family genes.Angelina Jolie's brother, James Haven, wrote an article about child-abuse issues on The Huffington Post today.The 40-year-old actor serves as the honorary Senior Advisor on Global Issues at Harvard and is the founder of the CoreCause Foundation—which aims to deal with "the world's causes from a preventative rather than recovery standpoint."In his post, titled We the People, Haven touches on the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and supplies facts about children's drug use and mental health in the country today."Child abuse and neglect in America is growing at a very high rate," he explained. "But I have good news.. Justice is coming!"Jolie's brother then goes on to motivate readers to set an example and demand that changes be made to the increasingly disturbing patterns of child issues throughout the country.He may have some big shoes to fill as a brother to Hollywood royalty, but he's already fulfilling the part!
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