Tawny Rother is 34 years old, recently engaged and a mom to three children. Two years ago, she lost her mother to ovarian cancer. Her mother carried a mutation in a gene called RAD51D, which increases the risk for ovarian cancer. Tawny learned she carried the same RAD51D mutation as her mother. Both of her grandmothers had also died of ovarian cancer. Determined to break the cycle, Tawny recently had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed at age 34. She shares what her journey has been like and memories of her mother.


Story Reference Points:

Tawny mother’s diagnosis and testing @ 1:50

Tawny’s experience with telehealth genetic counseling and testing @ 3:55

Life after a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy @ 10:34

On deciding when to have a BSO @ 18:27

Ovarian cancer awareness: seek a second opinion and genetic testing @ 20:01

CA-125 screening for ovarian cancer and affordability of genetic testing @ 38:31


Links and Resources
Tawny on Instagram: @the_tawnyscrawny_lion and @tawnys_journey

Ovarian Cancer Canada


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