HOLLYWOOD IF I COULD: Teacher Debbie Gentile-Abbood (above) calls Angelina Jolie’s mastectomy unrealistic.
HOLLYWOOD IF I COULD: Teacher Debbie Gentile-Abbood (inset) calls Angelina Jolie’s mastectomy unrealistic. (
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A New Jersey kindergarten teacher with a strong family history of breast cancer blasted Angelina Jolie for giving everyday working women false hope that they, too, can prevent cancer by removing their breasts.
“It upset me,” Debbie Gentile-Abbood said of her reaction to the movie star’s announcement that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy.
“That’s good for her; she’s got the best health care and she’s got money. She doesn’t have to worry about taking off of work. She doesn’t have to worry about taking care of her family, cooking or cleaning — the things that the normal woman would have to do.”
Gentile-Abbood’s mother died of breast cancer at 51. Gentile-Abbood is 51 and fears a similar fate for herself. The working mom from Hawthorne, NJ, said if she knew she had a BRCA gene mutation, she would want to undergo the same procedure, but, like many other middle-class women, “We don’t have that option.”
Gentile-Abbood, who teaches in the Paterson school district, has been the breadwinner for her family since last September, when her husband, Jim, a pipestone fitter, was laid off. She said she’s scared to even get tested because she can’t do anything about the results.
“I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to open that can of worms,” she said.
“If I found out, I couldn’t take care of the situation. What am I supposed to do? Sit around every day and worry that I’m going to get cancer?”
Gentile-Abbood said her physician told her it was unlikely her insurance company would cover any reconstructive surgery, which can cost more than $20,000 out-of-pocket.
Another concern for Gentile-Abbood is that she couldn’t afford a plastic surgeon who could give her the same “beautiful” results as Jolie.
“You get what you pay for. If you get a good plastic surgeon, you’re going to get the best,” Gentile-Abbood said. “It’s all about who’s got the money.”
Gentile-Abbood’s twin sister, Donna, recently had precancerous cells removed from her breast. They’re both anxious that they will face the same fate as their mother.
“I’m always worried about getting cancer because I’m at mother’s age when she died,” she said.
“Right now, with my options, I’m doing the best I can, by keeping up with my doctor and getting regular exams. That’s the best option for me right now.”