When It Comes from Dad: My Journey with the BRCA1 Mutation
“1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish men and women carry a BRCA mutation.”
That was the sign hanging quietly at the back of the room during the Sharsheret/Young Israel of Hollywood, Florida Sisterhood Breast Cancer Awareness event that provided on-site genetic testing on February 3, 2023. I remember staring at it and thinking: “Wow. I did not know Ashkenazi Jews were at such a high risk. But I am not at risk. I am healthy. Cancer does not run in my family. I am not the one.”
But I am type A. So I had the paperwork completed before I even arrived. When the nurse asked, “Does breast cancer run in your family?” I said, “No, I don’t think so. Actually… I’m not sure what my dad’s mom died from. She passed away before I was born. He never talked about her death.” The nurse wrote down “paternal grandmother may have had breast cancer,” and I had my blood drawn for a full genetic panel.
A few weeks later, my phone rang. It was a number I did not recognize—and normally would have let it go to voicemail. But this time, I answered.
The voice on the line was calm and kind—and told me my genetic test results were in. I waited for the reassurance I expected. Instead, I heard: “You tested positive for the BRCA1 genetic mutation. Your lifetime risk of breast cancer is between 45% and 85%, and your risk of ovarian cancer is between 39% and 58%.”
Everything stopped.
“What did you say? My blood is positive for what?”
I spiraled. How could this be happening? I have two small children. I had already endured six rounds of IVF. Wasn’t that enough? I started Googling. I tried to breathe. I passed a mirror and wondered if cancer was staring back at me.
I told my husband I would have multiple surgeries before the end of the year. He told me to slow down. But, I don’t do “slow.”
I called my mom. I told her I had BRCA1. She was surprised. “I don’t think we have a history of breast cancer in our family,” she said. I asked her what my father’s mother died from. She did not have an answer.
Then it clicked:
I did not have any family history.
I had an unknown family history of breast or ovarian cancer.
And that is not the same thing.
My mom tested negative for BRCA1. The mutation did not come from her. It came from my father. And, suddenly, I saw the whole picture: my paternal grandmother—long gone, with a story never told—was the source of this mutation. My father and his brother had passed from unrelated causes, but the BRCA mutation had quietly threaded its way through our family.
When I told my sister and our two first cousins—the daughters of my father’s brother—they all got tested. All of them are BRCA1 positive.
This is the truth too few people realize:
You can inherit the BRCA genetic mutation from your father.
And yet, too often, we overlook that side of the family when we consider our risk.
The rest of 2023 was a whirlwind: scans, consultations, surgeries. Between May and October, my sister and I both had prophylactic double mastectomies with reconstruction, followed by complete hysterectomies. We took control of our health, step by step, surgery by surgery.
I carry guilt—of course I do. I wonder every day if my 10-year-old daughter inherited this mutation from me. But if she did, I take comfort knowing that Sharsheret will be there for her, just like they were for me.
Sharsheret connected me with a peer supporter, who entered my life like Glinda the Good Witch. She walked me through the process, helped me prepare, brought me a stylish post-mastectomy wardrobe, and has since become my “UnBRCAble” sister.
In the quiet moments, I still wonder:
What if the Sisterhood and Sharsheret did not host the breast cancer awareness event in February 2023?
What if I had not gone to the event?
What if I went to the event, but did not have genetic testing?
If any of those “what ifs” were true, I know—without a doubt—that I would have met Sharsheret after a cancer diagnosis. I am so profoundly grateful that I never had cancer. BRCA1 gave me high odds, and it still amazes me that I reached 50 without developing breast or ovarian cancer.
I believe Gd gave me a mission—to use my voice to educate, to advocate, and to save others from walking into their futures without knowing what runs silently in their genes.
That’s why I shared my journey so publicly on Instagram and speak about genetic testing and BRCA whenever I can. So many women reached out and told me that they had genetic testing because I shared my story. There’s no greater reward than knowing my vulnerability inspired someone else to act.
Today, I proudly serve as a Sharsheret Ambassador and Peer Supporter.
In March 2024, I had the honor of attending the State of the Union Address in Washington, DC as a guest of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. We both carry the BRCA1 mutation, and we stood together to advocate for IVF access for families with genetic risks.
Genetic testing is so much more than a blood draw or a saliva test. Genetic testing is a gift. It is a gift for yourself. For your children. For your future generations.
So, if you have never considered your father and his side of the family when thinking about breast and ovarian cancer risk—start now. Because if a BRCA gene mutation runs through your dad, it may run through you too.
And knowledge is not just power—it’s life-saving.
Information provided by Sharsheret is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider.