Just two weeks after Angelina Jolie revealed she had a double mastectomy, her aunt has lost her battle with breast cancer.
Debbie Martin, the younger sister of Angelina’s mother Marchelina Bertrand, died on Sunday morning in California, aged 61.
Her husband, Ron Martin, told E! News Angelina had been in contact with the family over the past week.
“Angelina has been in touch throughout the week and her brother, Jamie, has been with us, giving his support day by day,” Ron said.
“They both loved Debbie very much and although Angie is not able to come right now, she has sent her love and support, which was very nice.”
Ron said both he and his late wife were very proud of Angelina’s decision to have a double mastectomy.
“We have seen Angelina a number of times since Debbie was diagnosed with breast cancer and Debbie and I were both very proud of her recent decision to have the double mastectomy and to do everything she can to keep her family from having to go through what we’ve been through,” he said.
“Angelina’s father [actor] Jon Voight has also been tremendously supportive. He came down to see Debbie last Sunday and spent the whole day, talking with her and sharing his love, and I know Debbie really enjoyed seeing him and talking with him.”
Angelina announced in The New York Times on May 14 that she had undergone a double mastectomy, after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, which increases a women’s risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
Her decision to go through with the mastectomy was influenced by the early death of her mother, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2007. The procedure decreased Angelina’s risk of developing breast cancer from 87 per cent to less than five per cent.
Since her announcement, doctors and health authorities have reported a phenomenon called “the Angelina effect”, whereby more women are coming forward and asking to be tested for the harmful BRCA1 gene mutation.
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