Play all audios:
SALLY CHAPMAN, 37, FIRST DISCOVERED SHE HAD A FAULTY BRCA2 GENE - WHICH IS LINKED TO BREAST CANCER - WHEN SHE WAS JUST 24 YEARS OLD 09:22, 29 May 2025 A Leicester lass who chose a double
mastectomy at just 27 to swerve the risk of breast cancer has hailed 'brave' telly star Kara Tointon for opening up about her own op, helping to spread the word and inspiring
others to get screened. At a tender age of 24, Sally Chapman discovered she carried the troublesome BRCA2 gene, notorious for increasing breast cancer odds. Grappling with the aftermath of
cancer claiming nine of her kin, Sally courageously faced surgery at 27 to cut her cancer risk. READ MORE: BIRMINGHAM RESTAURANT FIRES BACK AT CUSTOMER WHO 'GOT 10 CHIPS FOR £6'
AFTER CHECKING CCTV The performing arts maestro from Leicester expressed admiration for ex-Eastenders favourite Kara Tointon, recounting how she too committed to a double mastectomy. A
decade since her own surgery, Sally is "truly grateful" for taking the step and harbours absolutely no second thoughts. Article continues below Sally, a doting mother to two,
reflected: "It's not always something you can connect with until it happens to you, or someone you know. "So it's important when people like Kara talk about it.
"When I shared my story, it made people go and get cheked. "It's a huge decision - people said I was so brave, but I felt grateful to do it. "I find it so uplifting that
the word is getting out there now but it's still not talked about enough. "It's brave of Kara to share it, and I think she's coming from the place I was - trying to help
just one person." The news of the gene defect struck Sally in her early twenties, and at the age of 27, after much contemplation, she went under the knife. Before the operation, Sally
wasn't yet a mum and had the push from some to postpone the surgery till she had children with her partner, Aaron Brown, aged 35. Sally, a young mum of two, has recounted her bold
decision to undergo a preventative mastectomy at just 27, despite concerns from loved ones about the risk and her age. She reflected: "People were concerned I was taking a risk, only
being 27. "My mum was adamant that I was far too young. I hadn't had children yet. "But I just had a different mindset. How would I feel if I got breast cancer and I
hadn't done anything about it?". "My view was that I'd definitely get breast cancer at some point - it was just when that would be." A conversation with someone who
had already gone through the procedure proved pivotal, as they told her: "I spoke to someone who had it done, and they said 'you're only as young as you are today'."
This made her realise, "I realised - what am I waiting for?". Following the mastectomy and subsequent breast reconstruction, Sally welcomed her daughter Frankie, now seven, and
her son Hughie, now three. She then participated in the Protector study, which involved having her fallopian tubes removed in an innovative approach to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer;
this meant she could not have any more children. Looking forward to getting her ovaries removed in her early forties, Sally remains optimistic: "For me, I feel you have to be
positive." She feels that undergoing the mastectomy earlier allowed her to recover more rapidly than she would today, a decade later. Sally commends Kara for courageously coming forward
with her story, while also emphasising the importance of speaking out herself: "I overcame the difficulty of my situation by speaking out and telling everyone what I'd done."
Article continues below She believes that raising awareness is not just beneficial for others but has also helped her own healing process: "I thought if I could raise awareness, it
would help me too."