In an opinion piece published in The New York Times Tuesday, Angelina Jolie reveals that she recently had a cancer scare and underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
The actress, who lost her mother to ovarian cancer in 2007, had them removed as preventative measure after a series of blood tests revealed she could be in the early stages of cancer.
“I went through what I imagine thousands of other women have felt,” Jolie wrote describing how she felt after the doctor called her two weeks ago.
“I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn’t live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.”
The mother of four said she phoned Pitt immediately, who was in France.
(Photo: Splash News)
“The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarizing, and it is peaceful.”
The 39-year-old, who said she feels at ease though she will no longer be able to have any more children, also underwent a preventative double mastectomy two years ago when a blood test showed that she carried a gene mutation.
“I know my children will never have to say, ‘Mom died of ovarian cancer.’”