Breast cancer survivor Jess Braude’s pregnancy joy after mastectomy

At just 29, Jess Braude discovered she carried the gene for breast cancer. Now she is planning to welcome her first child without the killer gene thanks to genetic screening and IVF.

When Jess Braude was diagnosed with breast cancer, her biggest fear was she may not be able to breastfeed the baby she dreamt of having, but this has now changed to hope — that her baby, due in just a few weeks, will be free of a killer gene that has haunted her family for generations.

Both Jess and her sister Nicole have the BRCA gene, which leads to a much higher risk of breast cancer.

“I guess I was really fortunate I knew I had the gene early. My family had a history of breast cancer — my grandmother passed away in her 30s when I was just five,” she said.

Breast cancer survivor Jess Braude, who has the BRCA gene, is expecting her first baby. Picture: Tim Hunter

In 2017, on her 30th birthday, Ms Braude was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer after a routine scan and biopsy, which becomes a part of life for those with this gene.

Before embarking on chemotherapy, her surgeon recommended a round of IVF because cancer treatment can affect your ability to have children.

“She said you’ve got triple negative breast cancer, which is very aggressive and you will need chemotherapy, she suggested a lumpectomy first and chemo as an insurance policy in case it spread,” she said.

“Chemotherapy can affect your fertility, so she recommended a round of IVF, then I had 14 rounds of chemotherapy over four to five months.”

Jess Braude's baby scan at 20 weeks. The baby was screened for the BRCA gene.

Ms Braude opted for a double mastectomy in January 2018.

“Because I had this gene, there was a 40 per cent chance it would come back and there was no way I wanted to go through chemotherapy again,” she said.

“It was the most awful thing, I got really sick, and there was just no chance I was going to risk it again.

“I always knew it was something I was going to have to do but my biggest concern was that I hadn’t had a family yet and I was really worried about not being able to breastfeed, that was my only concern.”

Then the harsh truth put things into perspective for the overseas-based family.

“I didn’t go back to Singapore. I stayed in Australia to start the process of treatment and surgery. My husband basically had to pack up our whole life overseas and move back and we lived with my parents. It was certainly not in my plan,” she said.

The pandemic last year provided the best opportunity to try to get pregnant with the embryos she and partner Travers Morony had created before cancer.

Jess Braude had a double mastectomy and froze her embryos before chemotherapy. Picture: Tim Hunter

The benefit of IVF meant genetic screening of the embryos helped to select one that did not carry the BRCA gene.

“We had them tested and in August they implanted one which I know doesn’t have the BRCA gene and it is a nice silver lining for me,” she said.

“It is something I am so glad that I don’t have to pass this one to my children, that we have this technology and if I can turn off the tap and stop it now, it is so worth it.”

Her baby is due on May 12, just three days after Mother’s Day.

“I can’t wait to meet my baby and I feel so blessed to know it will not go through what I have,” she said.

Ms Braude usually joins in the Mother’s Day Classic Walk that will be held across NSW on May 9 but she may well be in labour. Her message is that breast cancer is not just something older women get.

“I have known three young women who had the BRCA gene and, sadly, all three have passed away,” she said.

“A lot of people think breast cancer is an older thing, but young people need to know it can happen at any age. You need to be across your family history. It could save your life.”

mothersdayclassic.com.au

Originally published as Breast cancer survivor Jess Braude’s pregnancy joy after mastectomy