On March 8 former Bachelor contestant Lesley Murphy announced via Instagram that she is getting a double mastectomy. Since finding out that she tested positive for the breast cancer gene BRCA2, she has decided to remove both of her breasts at 29 years old. Lesley's mom had breast cancer three years ago, which factored into her choice. She wants to be positive and live her best life possible, cancer-free.
Lesley—who competed on Sean Lowe's season of The Bachelor and was a bridesmaid in his wedding to winner Catherine Giudici—captioned her post, "In no way am I looking for pity through this story. I've wanted to share the news since the beginning simply to be an advocate for early screenings, detections and girl power."
Lesley posted a follow-up video the next day, where she talked about what happened at her doctor's appointment. You can see Lesley twirling around in a gown, and her smile is absolutely contagious! She explains how her day was filled with plastic sugery discussions, an ultrasound, mammogram and MRI.
"It feels SO good to have a support system like y'all, and I love how a platform like Instagram brings people together who've gone through similar circumstances," she wrote.
"You say I'm inspiring, but the stories told in my comment section inspired me just the same and reconfirmed my decision to move forward with everything. A surgery date of April 11th is in the books! Until then, I have a month packed full of adventures overseas!"
I am seriously beyond inspired by this courageous decision of hers. Good for you, Lesley! Keep living your best life.
