Katie Thurston has been extremely open about her life and her past on this season of The Bachelorette.
Katie continued to be an example of transparency when she revealed a heath scare she experienced as a young adult.
Katie Thurston received a lumpectomy
In a post bringing awareness to being proactive about health, Katie addressed the scar on her chest, which she often gets questions about.
Katie shared that she had a cancer scare when she found a lump in her breast at the age of 20. Her scar came from her lumpectomy procedure, removing the lump from her breast.
Due to Katie being so young, she had to discover the lump on her own since women her age aren’t often required to get mammograms. Katie shared, “Typically women don’t get routine mammograms until their 40s, so it’s important to be your biggest advocate when it comes to your own personal health.”
Katie’s sentiments about being an advocate for your health are shared by fellow Bachelorette, Clare Crawley.
As of late, Clare has been very outspoken about the complications from her breast implants and the toll it has taken on her body. Clare vulnerably documented her process of removing the implants for the sake of her health.
Both Katie and Clare’s openness about their health has helped more women feel empowered to be mindful of their bodies and champion their health.
Katie puts Michael Allio’s foundation in the spotlight
On top of writing candidly about her personal health, Katie also brought awareness to The L4 Project, which is a foundation started by The Bachelorette Season 17 fan favorite, Michael A.
Michael founded The L4 Project in order to honor his late wife, Laura Allio, and continue her legacy after she tragically passed from cancer.
Katie shared a photo of her wearing a shirt from The L4 Project and highlighted what the foundation stands for which is providing various forms of assistance, including financial, experiential, and emotional help to people and families battling the hardship of cancer.
Katie and Michael already had a natural chemistry before their love journey was cut short due to Michel needing to return home to his son. While Michael and Katie’s relationship didn’t end up working out in the long run, their commitment to bringing awareness about health shows they’re still deeply connected in more ways than one.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.