At 26, former Miss USA contestant made a life changing decision after cancer devastated her family
Reported by Fox News ·
A choice shaped by family loss
Rose said she did not want her family’s history to define her future. She described wanting to protect her own life and avoid facing the prospect of leaving her daughter without a mother.
Pageants and preventive surgery
At 26, she underwent a preventive double mastectomy. She said the decision drew criticism, including hate mail, but she went ahead with it after cancer had devastated her family.
Education through The Previvor
Rose is now a mother of two and founded The Previvor, a nonprofit focused on educating women about breast cancer risk and prevention options. Her work grew from her experience with cancer in her family.
Key points
- Rose had preventive double mastectomy surgery at age 26.
- Her mother died of breast cancer at 51.
- Rose won Miss Maryland USA in 2011 and competed nationally that year.
- She founded The Previvor to educate women about breast cancer risk and prevention.