Healthy Mama Magazine SPECIAL RED Edition - Feb 2015 | Page 62

feature

M Y STO RY

Glimmer

Pink Hope
of

Interview with Krystal Barter,
Founder of

W

hen most twenty-somethings are deciding on where to go for
university vacation or choosing an apartment to share with
friends, Krystal Barter found herself having to make decisions
that most young women never have to consider.

Krystal’s family carries the BRCA1 gene, the same gene that was made well known by Angelina Jolie in 2003. This
gene is the reason that 20 women in her family have been diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer. Among
them, her mother at 36, grandmother at 44 and her great-grandmother at 68. At the tender age of 25, after genetic
testing revealed that she also carried the gene, Krystal decided to take preventative action and underwent a
double mastectomy to reduce her chances of developing cancer.
It became Krystal’s personal mission to help, support and educate women and their families who face a genetic
predisposition to cancer and from her hospital bed, Pink Hope was born. Through her own experience and
determination, Krystal has created a place where women and their families can receive real support whether
it’s connecting with genetic counselors, getting financial help or simply just knowing there are others out there
who understand. Healthy Mama spoke to this extraordinary woman to find out more.

HEALTHY MAMA MAGAZINE
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