In honor of World Ovarian Cancer Day, the actress paid tribute to her late mother, who died of breast and ovarian cancer in 2007, and encouraged women to be health-conscious.
Angelina Jolie is encouraging women to take care of their health on World Ovarian Cancer Day.
The actress and humanitarian, 47, posted an old photo of herself and her mother on Instagram on Monday, reflecting on her mother’s decade-long fight with breast and ovarian cancer before her death.
“My mother would have turned 73 tomorrow.” “After a long battle with breast and ovarian cancer, she died 15 years ago,” she wrote. “I’ll be a month older in June than she was when she was diagnosed.” I’ve had preventive operations to attempt to reduce my odds, but I still have regular checkups.”
“My mother adored Jimi Hendrix.” And she always signed her letters with Kiss the Sky. “It took on new significance after she died,” Jolie continued. “Sending love to those who have also lost loved ones, and strength to those who are fighting for their lives and the lives of those they love right now.”
“And to other women, please take the time to look after yourself and go for your mammograms, blood tests, or ultrasounds, particularly if you have a family history of cancer #worldovariancancerday,” she concluded.
In an emotive piece for Time in 2019, Jolie discussed her preventative measures following the sadness of losing her mother to cancer.
“I simply feel I made choices to improve my odds of being here to see my children grow into adults, and of meeting my grandchildren,” Jolie wrote of her decision to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy and later have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. “My hope is to add as many years to their lives as I can and to be there for them.”
Maddox, 21, Pax, 19, Zahara, 18, Shiloh, 16, and 14-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne are among the six children she shares with ex-husband Brad Pitt.
“I’ve been living without a mother for almost a decade. “She only met a few of her grandchildren and was frequently too sick to play with them,” Jolie said at the time. “When I consider how much their lives would have benefited from time with her and the protection of her love and grace, it’s difficult for me to consider anything in this life divinely guided.” My mother battled the sickness for a decade and lived into her fifties. My grandmother died while she was in her forties. “I’m hoping that my decisions will allow me to live a little longer.”
Jolie’s mother, Angelina Jolie, died of breast and ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56. She also lost her aunt to the disease in 2013, the same year Jolie decided to have a double mastectomy – a decision she made after genetic tests revealed she had a defective BRCA1 gene, predisposing her to developing breast cancer.
Following an ovarian cancer scare two years later, the Academy Award-winning actress had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.
“People also ask how I feel about the physical scars I carry,” Jolie added. “I believe our scars serve as a reminder of what we have overcome.” They contribute to what makes each of us special. One of the most lovely aspects of human existence is its diversity.”
However, she went on to say that “the hardest scars to bear are often invisible, the scars in the mind.”
