This month which celebrates both Mothers' Day and the Brides' Month here in Brazil, I invite you to bring your thoughts on a much intriguing topic, especially for women, which nowadays has pervaded the media: Angelina Jolie's decision to undergo double mastectomy after learning that she carries a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
Hope to have your lively participation here, including the male participation, of course, with this in mind: If you were Brad Pitt, how would you feel with your wife's decision?
Cheerio!
Flávia
1) Warm up:
Before we start the discussion on the main topic, let's read this CNN article on the
5 Reasons we love Angelina Jolie. Which one or ones do you support? Do you have any other reason to add, or rather any reason to hate her (:D)?
1. Demonstrating
courage
Angelina Jolie has
never been afraid to express herself, emotionally or artistically. Her decision
to publicly announce her preventative surgery so other women could benefit from
her experience shows bravery and an overwhelming desire to help others. She has gone against her own public
image and challenged the perception of a woman's identity by choosing to speak
up about her operation. Even more powerful, her global reach may influence
millions of women to proactively look after themselves.
2. Humanitarian
efforts
It has become Jolie's
mission to provide a voice for people whose lives have been ravaged by war and
natural disasters. In short, she has
turned her celebrity status into a force for good. She has personally donated
more than $5 million to the UNHCR since 2001. In addition to her appointment as UN
Special Envoy to Refugees, the actress has set up the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation
dedicated to conservation, education and healthcare in Cambodia.
3. Transcending
stereotypes
Jolie refuses to fit
a certain mold and proves that women can be daring and independent, and at the
same time caring and altruistic. She is a loving mother of six campaigning
tirelessly for women and children across the globe, but she is also an Oscar-winning
Hollywood actress. The actress has
redefined what it means to be a humanitarian.
4. Cinematic talent
From her
award-winning portrayal of a mentally unstable woman in "Girl,
Interrupted" to starring in the "Lara Croft" series, Jolie has
steered clear of typecasting and has not shied away from theatrical risk.
In the last decade,
she has steered her career in a serious and meaningful direction, starring in
films such as "Changeling," as a distraught mother looking for her
son, and "A Mighty Heart," playing the role of Mariane Pearl, wife of
U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl who was, in 2002, abducted and killed in Pakistan.
In 2011, she made her directorial debut with "In the Land of Blood and
Honey," a film about the Bosnian War.
5. From celebrity to
icon
Jolie has emerged as
a woman who is not afraid to make mistakes. She has made the ultimate
transition -- from Hollywood starlet to global ambassador and in turn, has
become an icon of female empowerment, strength and independence along the way. Link to Article
2) Read the article and give your opinion on Angelina Jolie's decision.
What aspects do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Why?
Also, see the video to complement the article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKEOk4Tpjbg
(CNN) – Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy
By Ed Payne, CNN May 16, 2013 -- Updated 1209 GMT (2009 HKT)
Actress Angelina
Jolie announced in a New York Times op-ed article on Tuesday that she underwent
a preventive double mastectomy after learning that she carries a mutation of
the BRCA1 gene, which sharply increases her risk of developing
breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
"My doctors
estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk
of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each
woman," Jolie wrote. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided
to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to
have a preventive double mastectomy."
Jolie's mother,
actress and producer Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age
of 56. Jolie is 37 years old.
In the Times op-ed, titled "My Medical Choice," Jolie said
she finished three months of medical procedures at the Pink Lotus
Breast Center in California on April 27 that included the
mastectomies and reconstruction. A mastectomy is an operation that
removes all or part of the breast.
She wrote that her
experience involved a three-step process. On February 2, the actress had a
procedure that increases the chance that the nipple can be saved. Two weeks
later, she had major surgery where the breast tissue was removed and temporary
fillers were put in place. Nine weeks later, she described undergoing
"reconstruction of the breasts with an implant."
"There have been
many advances in this procedure in the last few years," she said,
"and the results can be beautiful."
"I wanted to
write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not
easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made," Jolie wrote. "My
chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5
percent."
BRCA stands
for breast cancer susceptibility genes, a class of genes known as tumor
suppressors, according to the National Cancer Institute. Mutations of the BRCA1
and BRCA2 genes have been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. A
blood test can determine if a woman is "highly susceptible" to the
cancers. Fellow actress Christina Applegate had a similar procedure in 2008. She also had a mutation of the BRCA1 gene.
Jolie may be best
known for title role in the "Lara Croft" series of films, but she
also won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in "Girl,
Interrupted." She also received a Golden Globe Award and SAG Award for the
same role.
Jolie serves as a
special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has visited refugee
camps around the world.
The actress has been
in a relationship with actor Brad Pitt since the mid-2000s, and they are
engaged. The couple has three biological and three adopted children.
In telling her story,
Jolie acknowledged that surgery might not be the right choice for every woman.
"For any woman
reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options," Jolie wrote.
"I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history
of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts
who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own
informed choices."
But for Jolie, the
decision ultimately came down to her kids: "I can tell my children that
they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer," she said. Link to Article
Extra-Readings:
Jolie’s
info:
Extended
info:
