Angelina Jolie Loses Aunt To Breast Cancer

Angelina Jolie, the actress who recently elected to have a double mastectomy after learning that she possesses a gene that predisposes her to breast cancer, lost her aunt to the disease on Sunday.

Jolie’s aunt, Debbie Martin, had long been battling breast cancer before her death on Sunday at 61. The confirmation of Martin's passing comes just two weeks after the philanthropic actress revealed her extensive preventative surgery she opted for once discovering that she possessed the “faulty” BRCA gene.

"Angelina has been sending her wishes," Martin’s husband Ronald Martin told People. "She and my wife texted each other. It was difficult for my wife, during the last few months, to communicate."

Martin is the sister to Jolie’s late mother Marcheline Bertrand, who died from ovarian cancer in 2007 after a seven-year battle with the disease. Jolie also has plans to undergo surgery to have her ovaries removed.

"Because of the BRCA gene in the maternal side of the family, Angelina did the smartest thing on earth," Ronald Martin said in praise of his neice. "It takes a lot of courage to have your breasts removed."

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