I want to share this story written by Yasmine Bleeth, (star of Titans)

From the Heart

Past Loss, Future Hope

Yasmine Bleeth learned about breast cancer the hard way. Through loss. One year after discovering a lump, Yasmine's mother succumbed to the disease. But her fate could have been different. By passing up just one doctor's appointment Carina Bleeth denied herself the medical attention that could have saved her life.

Since that time, Yasmine has become a crusader for breast cancer awareness and prevention. She implores women across the country to  pay attention to their bodies-and to their physicians. Early detection can be the difference between winning and losing the fight against breast cancer.

Titans star Yasmine Bleeth shares her most personal thoughts and feelings about her mother's battle and reveals critical information that can save your life.

A Mother's Legacy

Yasmine & her Mom

My mother was never one to cower in the face of adversity. This was a woman who traveled up the Amazon River all by herself, spending nights under the stars. Her only bed was that of a river. I think even if there was a luxury hotel in sight, she wouldn't have stayed there. She was the bravest women-person!-I ever knew. She was my hero.

But at age 45, she was faced with the biggest challenge of her life and the only one she couldn't beat.

It was 1988 when my mother discovered an unusual swelling in her breast. At the time, she was living with my stepfather in St. Barts. I suppose she must have told him, or he must have noticed on his own. But as close as we were, she never mentioned it to me. I'm not sure if she didn't think much of it or if she didn't want to worry me. But it concerned her enough to visit the doctor on her next trip back to the States. 

The doctor wrote off the inflammation as a sign of early menopause, and suggested that she return the following month if it persisted. She headed back to St. Barts without saying a word. I can't begin to speculate on why she didn't tell me. Or why she decided not to go back to the doctor. I suppose she was in denial. Perhaps she was paralyzed by fear. Or maybe she simply didn't think there was any cause for alarm.      

By the time she returned six months later, it was too late. She had a rare inflammatory breast cancer that was already in its advanced stages. At that point, there wasn't much that could save her. Any skepticism she had previously felt about doctors was fed by her misdiagnosis, and she turned her back on traditional medicine altogether. She rejected chemotherapy and conventional therapies in favor of a more holistic approach. She retreated to a treatment center, where there was nothing she wouldn't try. And nothing that was working.

Independent and so full of life at 46, I'm sure she thought she had it all under control. We all did. This was the sort of thing that happened to other people, but not to her: She didn't smoke or drink. And she never got sick. So how was I to accept that my mother was dying? Even as I watched her getting thinner and slipping away, I didn't believe it. At the time, I was convinced that if anyone could fight this disease, it would be my mother. If anyone could overcome the odds and pull through, it was her.

I'm not sure sure it even occurred to me that she might not. I imagine she felt very much the same way. In fact, I don't remember ever accepting the fact that she was dying until she took her very last breath. But on November 7, 1989, just two months after her 47th birthday, the fight was over.

One of the hardest things about losing my mother has been knowing that it didn't have to turn out this way. If I knew then what I know now about breast cancer and early detection, she might still be here today. Back then, no one spoke about breast cancer. No one thought about it. It was a non-issue.

Today, breast cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence. There is so much you can do to lower your risk. But you must not pretend it can't happen to you. Fear and ignorance are your biggest enemies. Awareness is the first step to survival. 

Yasmine Bleeth  

Knowledge is your best defense in the fight against breast cancer.  

This important health message is courtesy of the generosity of 

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