Former California congresswoman who survived Jonestown bloodbath declares she has breast most cancers


A former California congresswoman who survived being shot 5 instances through the Jonestown bloodbath in Guyana introduced this week that she has been identified with breast most cancers.

Former Rep. Jackie Speier, who represented San Mateo County and San Francisco from 2008 to 2021, posted on the social media platform X on Thursday about her prognosis.

“I simply grew to become one of many 300,000 girls per yr who’re identified with breast most cancers,” the politician wrote. “The excellent news is that it was found early and I had a profitable lumpectomy on Tuesday.”

Speier mentioned she practically skipped her annual mammogram resulting from a packed summer season schedule, however then determined to go, which led to the most cancers prognosis.

“The lesson right here is, please be diligent about your individual screenings and don’t skip them,” she wrote.

Speier was an aide to then-Rep. Leo J. Ryan in 1978 when members of the Jonestown settlement opened fireplace on them as they tried to go away Guyana for the US following a go to there. Speier’s boss was amongst these killed, however she survived 5 gunshot wounds.

As a congresswoman, Speier was an outspoken advocate for ladies’s reproductive rights and spoke in a 2011 speech on the Home ground concerning the abortion she had.

Earlier than serving in Congress, Speier was a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and the state Legislature.

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This story initially appeared in Los Angeles Occasions.

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