Michelle Heaton emotionally reveals fears for daughter developing same cancer gene
Wednesday 10 October 2012

Former Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton was diagnosed with the mutated gene BRCA2 earlier this year, giving her an 80% chance of developing breast cancer and a 30% chance of developing ovarian cancer. Now, she fears her daughter may have inherited the same destructive gene.
The 33-year-old broke down in tears on the Lorraine show as she discussed the guilt she feels over her daughter possibly having the same cancer gene she has. The mother-of-one revealed that Faith has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the gene.
She said: 'A major part for me finding out that I had the gene was the guilt of possibly passing it on to Faith.
'She now has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene from me, so I believe when she's 18 she will be legal to be genetically tested.'
Due to her potential illness, Michelle may have to make the decision to have a double mastectomy and have her ovaries removed.
'It's really difficult to say how you feel when you get told something like that because when you look at your husband and he's getting clearly upset, and then you look at your little baby who's laughing and giggling and she's not aware of anything, you just feel things crumbling around you.'
A teary Michelle said: ‘I think what's difficult is timing it right. The double mastectomy not so much because obviously that's not going to affect me having children and hormonally.

'But getting my ovaries removed is going to onset menopause and I won't be allowed to have children anymore.'
Michelle admitted that if her illness became life-threatening, she would not want Faith to be left mother-less and would want her husband Hugh Hanley to find another woman to raise her.
‘I almost give my husband permission to find somebody else if anything ever happens to me because I'd want her to have a mum.
'I kind of feel lucky that I've found out now rather than pre-Faith, because I think had I found out this information before having Faith, maybe the pressure would have been too great to conceive as quickly as I had done.
'Obviously we don't know, but I'm absolutely fortunate that I've got one gorgeous child, and if that's the only one that I have then I'm fortunate, but of course I'd love more.'
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