Their Mom and Sisters All Had Breast Cancer. So 2 Sisters in Their 20s Got Preventative Double Mastectomies Together (Exclusive)

• Sisters Brandy, 28, and Cassidy Bauver, 27, decided to get double mastectomies together
• Their bold decision came after they learned about their family history: every woman on both sides of their family has been diagnosed with breast cancer at some point
• While Brandy didn’t test positive for the BRCA gene, Cassidy did. Despite that, both women opted for the procedure

Sisters Brandy and Cassidy Bauver were well aware that nearly every woman in their family had been diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in life. The disease goes back to their grandmothers on both sides of the family. But their sister Lacey’s recent diagnosis prompted Brandy and Cassidy to take action. 

While Brandy, 28, didn’t test positive for the BRCA gene mutation, it was revealed Cassidy, 27, had the gene. According to the National Cancer Institute, “The risks of developing breast and ovarian cancer are markedly increased in people who inherit a harmful change in BRCA1 or BRCA2.” 

Despite Brandy testing negative, they both decided to proceed with a preventive double mastectomy. “It was a different decision for both of us,” Cassidy exclusively tells PEOPLE. “For me, it was kind of like I didn’t have a choice.” 

Brandy’s decision was influenced by the histories of her sisters, including older sister Wren, who was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer despite not carrying the BRCA gene.

“That, to me, was my awakening moment,” Brandy says. “She got the most aggressive form of breast cancer … it just wasn’t a risk that either of us wanted to take.” 

Cassidy adds, “I think it also helped Brandy make the decision when I decided to make this decision, because I was like, ‘Well, I’m not doing this alone. You have to do it with me.’ ”

The first conversation around breast cancer happened when Brandy was 17 and Cassidy was 16 when their mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which later turned into breast and skin cancer.

“Both our mom and our sister are kind of like walking miracles,” Cassidy says. “But that’s when the conversation kind of opened to our family genetics and family history.”

When it came time for the sisters to tell their family about their decisions, the reaction was overwhelmingly supportive. “They were mainly very happy, especially our oldest sister,” Cassidy notes. “She was always pushing for us to do the surgery.”

Wren, who has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer but has been showing “no evidence of disease for five years,” according to Cassidy, didn’t want her younger sisters to go through what she did. 

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The sisters documented their journey on TikTok, which sparked conversations with followers about genetic testing and preventative measures. “I would love to be a voice in the previvor community,” Brandy shares, referring to those who take proactive measures to avoid cancer. 

The Bauver sisters’ shared experience furthered the women’s unbreakable bond. “Growing up, Cass and I have always just done everything together,” Brandy shares. “It made it better to go through it together, for sure.” Cassidy echoes this sentiment, describing their recovery: “Although she has a four-bedroom house, we were, in fact, in the same bed recovering for the whole week.” 

The experience wasn’t without its challenges. Brandy recalls having to advocate for herself to get the surgery approved despite not having the BRCA gene. “I had to continue to fight,” she says.

Despite getting the surgery, Cassidy acknowledges that her BRCA status presents ongoing concerns about ovarian cancer. She candidly says, “I still have to worry about the risk.”

Nonetheless, the sisters emphasize the positive nature of their decision. “The most empowering thing is just knowing that we got ahead of  the disease before it had a chance to take our lives,” Brandy shares, adding, “Fight for yourself … You have to be proactive. A lot of times, women’s health is not taken seriously, and you really have to be that push for yourself.”