Miss America Contestant To Get ‘Precautionary’ Double Mastectomy
Allyn Rose, a 24-year-old Miss America contestant, announced today that she will undergo a “precautionary” double mastectomy.
Rose doesn’t have breast cancer at the moment but said that she had a high risk of getting the disease.
Rose said:
“The idea that I could wake up one day and not have the same body that I did the day before is very scary … But I also realize my mom was diagnosed at 27. That’s three years away from me. I’m not going to let my fear of losing this part of my femininity stop me from living.”
According to ABC, Rose and the other women in her family are carriers of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, a rare disease that has a high correlation to cancer. Rose said that she’s met with several doctors about the surgery and their reactions to her decision have been mixed.
Rose said:
“I met with my surgeon, and the doctors that treated my mom, and doctors are 50-50 with this. Some say you can put it off, you don’t have breast cancer. Others say it is an incredibly wise decision, your mom was diagnosed at 27, only three years from where you are now, why not make a proactive decision?”
Rose is currently a contestant in the Miss America contest. The beauty pageant contestant said that she would get the double mastectomy as soon as her duties to Miss America are fulfilled. If Rose wins, she’ll have the surgery in January 2014. If she loses, she’ll have the surgery this Summer.
“A lot of people are confused when I say I’m choosing life over beauty, but it’s beauty as a stereotype, the Hollywood idea of beauty, the physical attributes. I’m not going to let my desire to achieve those goals distract me from my own health.”
What do you think of Allyn Rose’s decision to have a “precautionary” double mastectomy? Is she making the right decision?
