12/05/2025
Screaming from the rooftops for our badass 🤩
Mackenzie's mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed away in her 40s. Several other maternal family members also carried various cancers. Knowing that her mom carried the BRCA mutation 🧬 she knew she needed to be tested for genetic mutations that she may carry herself.
She didn't fully understand the weight of finding the genetic mutation. Mackenzie had hoped it would just skip her 🫣
At 22 years old she tested positive for BRCA1, and it changed her life. "Is it hard? Absolutely, but I have learned so much about myself and this community in the process." 🥰
Since then, it's been 5 years, and she's stayed extremely vigilant in her screening.
When she turned 27 years old, she decided it was time to undergo a prophylactic ni**le sparing, double mastectomy with direct to implant. She'll be doing a revision surgery in the near future and continues to screen for ovarian cancer every 6 months. Mackenzie continues to get annual screenings for skin & stomach cancer as well 🎗️
After her double mastectomy, she bought a house, graduated with her master's, and enrolled in another graduate program 🎓️ This gene taught her how to be hungry for more.
She has a Not Dead Yet tattoo on her wrist that she wears proudly. "I’m not dead yet, that is my reminder to squeeze everything I can out of every day. Say yes to opportunities, take risks, and stay grateful."
In a podcast she listened to by Jocko Willink, there's a common excerpt from it titled “Good.” This short excerpt (motivational video) is also tattooed under her mastectomy scars 🎨 It reminds her to use this as a good, a why, and a reason.
While this gene may be one of the hardest things she's ever had to face, she tries to remember that she has the opportunity to appreciate life, family, and simple things more than anyone else 💖
"Stay positive, but validate your feelings. It can be both. Hard AND life changing. You are not alone; the previvor community is a force to be reckoned with. Start with an Instagram message or email, you’d be surprised." 🎀
