Every time I looked at my breasts I thought: timebomb<\/span><\/div><\/div>\nShe was offered IVF with gene therapy, which meant the mutant gene would be removed at the laboratory stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I talked about it with my partner, but I was really uncomfortable with that idea,’ she says.\u2018I did want a baby \u2014 but I wanted nature to take its course.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
But while Jade was still agonising about what to do, she discovered she was pregnant \u2014 which changed everything. All decisions about future surgery would have to go on hold.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baby Zander was born in \u00adOctober 2021, his sex bringing a certain relief, though \u2018he could still have the gene \u2014 we won’t know until he is 18′.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But even as she was breastfeeding, Jade knew she was doing this \u2018for the first and last time’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I still wanted the surgery, so I saw being able to breastfeed him as a gift.If I have any more children I won’t be able to.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
She fed Zander for only two months \u2018because my consultant advised that my milk flow needed to have stopped before he would operate’, and Jade felt a sense of urgency: \u2018Having Zander made it more vital.He needed me alive.’<\/p>\n
By August 2022, Jade was ready. She’d spent months researching reconstructive breast surgery. The publicity surrounding Angelina Jolie’s mastectomy gave her hope. \u2018She was still stunning, still every inch a woman,’ says Jade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What of her partner?\u2018100 per cent supportive,’ she says. \u2018He\u00a0could see what the anxiety of a life of screening was doing to me.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had the reconstruction done at the same time as the surgery to remove her breasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, Jade feels a weight has been taken off her shoulders.But her scars will only fade so much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018I still don’t know if I’ll ever get back to my job, but I hope so,’ she says. \u2018I think there has been a move towards models who reflect real life. Women in real life have curves, flaws, scars.It’s part of who we are. I’m proud of mine.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
Would her sisters have taken the decision Jade did? Claire says she probably wouldn’t, while Donna says: \u2018Knowing what I know now, I’d probably have opted for a mastectomy after my chemo, but at the time I wasn’t strong enough.It may be something to think about in the future’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, they have both supported Jade’s decision.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018She’s been incredibly brave,’ Claire says. \u2018Both she and Donna have been absolute warriors.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sisters’ campaign, #NOTJUSTBRCA, will now push for increased screening opportunities and awareness.On World Cancer Day earlier this month, they released a video talking about their work with the NHS.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018And that means women looking at their mums and aunties and asking questions,’ Donna says. \u2018The answers can be frightening, but knowledge is power.’<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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To be a model you first have to win the genetic lottery, Jade Power acknowledges.The former beauty queen has had a successful career thanks largely to her 5ft 10in frame, endless legs, show-stopping hair and DD bust.\u00a0 \u2018My mum did pass on some great things to me. I was definitely blessed,’ jokes Jade, 29.\u00a0 Her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1369,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[290],"tags":[273],"dealstore":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1369"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3462"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3463,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3462\/revisions\/3463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3462"},{"taxonomy":"dealstore","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gavki.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dealstore?post=3462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}