GILBERT, AZ — Every year, nearly 300,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month we're highlighting a Valley first responder who's now opening up about her own journey with breast cancer in hopes of saving lives.
Officer Dani Covey with the Gilbert Police Department is the 2023 Previvor Honoree.
"It all started last year, fairly unexpectedly. I ended up in the hospital for an unrelated medical incident and they had me follow up with a special provider and when I was there, we started talking about my family history. Breast cancer runs in my family. Ovarian cancer runs in my family and the provider that I was talking to asked if I had ever done the BCRA test," said Covey.
The BCRA test is a blood test that uses DNA analysis to see if someone has the BCRA1 or BCRA2 gene, which puts them at a much higher risk of developing certain types of cancer.
"I found out I was a carrier for the BCRA1 gene and that changed everything. Being a carrier of the BCRA1 gene mutation, it carries upwards of an 87% chance of breast cancer. Now, couple that with the fact that my grandmother had been diagnosed twice with breast cancer, the first time in her twenties and then my aunt had passed away from breast cancer at 36. I was now 33. It felt like my body was a ticking time bomb," said Covey.
That's when Dani decided she was going to take control of the cancer.
"Thirty-three days after my diagnosis I went in for a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and I had reconstruction surgery at the same time. So, it was a big move to make as quickly as I did, but I felt like it was the right move," said Covey.
She says the recovery wasn't easy but two months later she was back at work training Gilbert police recruits.
Now, she's hoping to inspire others to take action for their health.
"Getting tested and knowing means that you have options. It means that you can go in for more frequent testing, more frequent screening mammograms. You can stay up to date on your labs. It means that you can keep pushing those preventative measures and be aware. And for me, that's why I wanted to tell my story. I wanted to let other women know that your life isn't over with a diagnosis like this. In fact, I think that you're more in control of your life," said Covey.
This increased spotlight on earlier detection is having an impact. According to the American Cancer Society, the number of deaths from breast cancer has been decreasing steadily since 1989, dropping more than 40%.
"I think that was what made all the difference for me, to know that decision was in my hands. And it was going to be hard. It was going to be scary, but again, I got to choose my scary," said Covey.
Dani's journey with cancer isn't over. She tells us her risk of breast cancer is now down to about 4% but because she is a BCRA1 gene carrier she is still at a higher risk of ovarian cancer. So, that means she will be staying on top of her testing and screenings.
She and her team from Gilbert police will be walking in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on Saturday at Tempe Town Lake.
She's also hosting her own online fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
