Australian model undergoes double mastectomy just before her 21st birthday: ‘It was a complete shock’

Most 21-year-olds are busy planning their birthday parties, studying or saving for a summer vacation in Europe, not recovering from life-changing surgery.

But Australian model Lilly Chugg, now 22, from Newcastle, got the shock of her life almost two years ago when tests revealed she had the BRCA gene in her family, a discovery she made after her mother’s cousin died of breast cancer.

The risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer is significantly increased in people who inherit a harmful change in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.

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The traumatic death of a close family member prompted Lilly’s mother Nicole to have a genetic test to see if she had the BRCA gene. She was found to have, and Lilly followed suit shortly after.

When Lilly discovered she had also tested positive for the gene, her first reaction was “pure shock.”

“My sister had also tested positive years before, so the fact that my sister, mother and I all have this gene is very shocking. My heart dropped when I found out, I was so grateful to have my beautiful fiancé and parents in the room with me,” Lilly tells 7Life.

After hearing the shocking news, Lilly had two options: she could have a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction or continue to have annual check-ups.

“For me, it was a no-brainer to have a double mastectomy and reconstruction because I didn’t want to have the fear every year of thinking, what if this is the year I find out I have breast cancer,” Lilly said.

“I was extremely scared going into the surgery because there are so many things that can go wrong.”

Lilly described her recovery from surgery as “pretty intense,” especially the first three weeks.

“After the fifth week, I was slowly but surely able to get back to my daily routine. The first one to two weeks you have drains, which were very intense,” she said.

“It was a huge mental challenge for me to have so much time away from my routine, as I am such an active person. Being bedridden was so mentally draining.”

It’s now been 18 months since Lilly underwent the life-changing surgery and she can now say she feels “truly so happy and proud of her decision”.

“I have absolutely no regrets, it’s such a relief knowing I’ve eliminated that risk,” she said.

Lilly still has to make annual appointments with her surgeon to make sure everything is going smoothly.

Lilly emphasizes the importance of doing family research so that you can get tested if someone close to you has had breast cancer.

“A lot of people don’t even know you can get tested for it,” she said.

For people who are facing the same dilemma as Lilly and are considering surgery, Lilly advises not to be discouraged by the fear of the unknown.

“Remember it’s your body and your decision,” she said.

Although Lilly was initially advised to wait until she was older, she was reluctant.

“I thought to myself, why would I want to wait and what if I was the unlucky one who got breast cancer and it was too late? Always listen to your gut.”