The family of a mum who died of ovarian cancer have encouraged people to get checked for the so-called “Angelina Jolie gene” which caused her disease.
Joanna Pires, 42, passed away last week after a four-year battle with the illness.
The youth support social worker, who was born in London but raised in Dundee from the age of one, carried a defective gene which made her more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer. Her family said others should get checked if they were worried.
Speaking from the couple’s home in Wolfhill, Perthshire, fiance Kevin Fullerton said: “Jo was a very popular girl. She always wanted her friends round. She loved her job and helping others. I used to tell her to get a hobby, but she just loved socialising.
“It was like a funfair in the hospital sometimes — we actually got into trouble because so many people were coming in to see her.”
Joanna was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in 2012 after complaining of stomach pains and spending a week’s holiday in bed.
Doctors confirmed she had the BRCA1 gene — the same one carried by Hollywood actress Jolie — which increases the risk of developing cancer and has a 50-50 chance of being passed down a generation.
The mum-of-two chose to undergo chemotherapy to spend more time with children Luke, 15, and Anya, 9, after being told she would only have a year to live if the cancer was left untreated.
Kevin added: “She could have let things run their course but she was a mum at the end of the day. She wanted to see her kids grow up.”
After attending Clepington Primary and Harris Academy, Joanna worked as a medical secretary at Strathmartine Hospital, before enrolling in the University of Dundee as a mature student to gain her “dream job” in social work.
Joanna’s mum Sandra, 70, said: “She just kept saying how she was worried about me and everyone else.
“If there was one thing she taught me it was how to be better at socialising. My fingers are worn out from messaging people.”
Joanna inherited the BRCA1 gene from her dad Joseph, who is undergoing treatment for bladder cancer at the age of 71. Her half-sister Courtney Pires, 31, has undergone successful treatment for breast cancer after also testing positive for the gene.
Courtney, a psychiatrist from London, said: “If you’re worried, talk to your GP. They’ll go through your family history and you can be tested for the gene.”
Kevin said: “Just like everyone else we always thought it would never happen to us, but it did and it can happen to anyone.
“If we can stop one family going through what we’ve gone through, then it’s worth it.”
Joanna’s funeral service is due to be held at Parkgrove Crematorium in Friockheim, Angus, on Thursday.
Kevin added: “Jo didn’t like being on her own — she was just a people person.
“She touched a lot of people in her life, so we’re expecting standing room only at the service.”