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Downey Sisters' Fund FOR BRCA MUTATION AWARENESS AND EDUCATION
The Downey Sisters' Fund for BRCA Mutation Awareness and Education has been established by Phebe and Frederick Downey, to honor their daughters:
Ann Downey Little • Margaret Downey Hardy • Katherine Downey Berges • Martha Downey Lemp
The fund will be used to educate the public and the medical community about the genetic risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
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Phebe and Fred (Center) with daughters (from left to right) |
Our Story
Each of our four daughters was determined to have a BRCA1 gene mutation in the summer of 2009.This was after one of their paternal second cousins was diagnosed with breast cancer, and tested positive for a specific BRCA1 mutation which runs in families of Irish/English descent. The hereditary factor became obvious enough to merit active attention.
Fred was tested first and found to have the mutation; our daughters then moved quickly, and unfortunately, each of the four also tested positive. This confirmed some knowledge that had been denied us: hereditary cancers can and do come through the male line. All four of our daughters are in various stages of research, prophylactic surgeries, and treatment. Shockingly, Ann is now battling early stage breast cancer and Martha, early stage ovarian cancer. In each case, awareness of the BRCA1 mutation led to earlier diagnosis than would have occurred otherwise. Both Kate and Meg are in the process of undergoing prophylactic surgeries, and we hope and pray that no further cancers are discovered.
The sadness, the shock, and the diagnoses prompted us to act. We chose FORCE as our avenue because its mission included "to raise awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer" and "to promote research specific to hereditary cancer". This fund will be targeted towards education of both the public and the medical community, so that through it, we might be able to lessen procedures, ease suffering, and best of all, save lives.