The FORCE Blog
Read blog posts featuring information and personal perspectives, as well as other materials of interest to the hereditary cancer community, by signing up for our community newsletter.
Education > Our Blog > Volunteer Spotlight - Kim Horner
Subscribe

Your information is used for the sole purpose of sending information about hereditary cancer and updates on FORCE programs and campaigns. To stop receiving these updates, click unsubscribe at the bottom of any email. If you need additional support, or have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Volunteer Spotlight - Kim Horner

June 20, 2024

Volunteer Spotlight - Kim Horner

I was overwhelmed when I discovered in 2009 that I carry a BRCA2 mutation. I was the first person in my family to get tested and had never heard of BRCA mutations. I was 41; just a couple of years younger than my grandmother when she died of breast cancer and had a baby still in diapers.

Suddenly, I was spending hours on FORCE's website, reading all the information I could find. I posted questions on the message boards, started reading medical journal articles about BRCA2 mutations and attended FORCE's annual conference. I had my ovaries removed that year, but I agonized for years over whether to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. I couldn’t imagine how I would ever come to peace with a decision.

Thanks to FORCE and the wonderful women who posted and answered questions on the message boards, I eventually determined that a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy was the best decision for me. The pathology from my 2016 surgery found that I had ductal carcinoma in situ, which confirmed for me that I had made the right choice.

I wrote about my experiences in my book, Probably Someday Cancer: Genetic Risk and Preventative Mastectomy (University of North Texas Press, 2019). I am honored that Dr. Sue Friedman, FORCE’s founder and executive director, wrote the Foreword to the book.

I joined FORCE as a Community Group Leader volunteer in 2021 to give back to the organization and help others going through similar experiences. Like so many of the participants in the virtual support groups, I needed to talk with women who truly understood what I was going through. I’m grateful when I can be that person for someone else.

Posted in: Volunteer Spotlight
Tags: BRCA2 , Volunteer

No Comments

Leave a Reply