Elisha Neave's sad story sends vital warning, as family's cancer tragedy hard to fathom

ANGELINA Jolie had both breasts removed to avoid the fate that lies in wait for Gold Coast woman Elisha Neave.
In 2007, long before the Hollywood star's preventative surgery, three sisters tested positive for BRCA2, a gene disorder that brings an 80 per cent risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.
Eldest sister Chrissy Keepence and middle sister Veronica Neave both acted quickly to have hysterectomies and their breasts removed.
But Elisha, only 30 at the time, decided to wait to have more children - a decision that will cost her life.
Now 34, Elisha is dying from a rare and aggressive cancer that started in her ovaries in March last year.
Chrissy said the thought of losing her sister was heartbreaking, but she hoped telling her story would encourage others to act.
"My baby sister has stage-4 fatal ovarian cancer - she never had the chance to act, she waited too long," Chrissy said.
"I am so happy that Angelina Jolie has come out to make people aware.
"If you're armed with knowledge, you can do something. We thought Elisha had more time - she was young and historically in our family the cancer didn't hit until the late 40s, but we were wrong."
Chrissy said Elisha was hospital-bound, fighting with all her strength to prolong her life for 10-year-old son Jack.
"Elisha has exhausted her chemotherapy and surgical options and is undertaking a new treatment," she said. "It is working for now, but she may have to travel to a German clinic that offers treatments not available in Australia."
Elisha's is not the only cancer battle in the Neave family - the sisters' father Colin, lost his battle with liver cancer last week and their mother Claudette is undergoing chemotherapy for terminal bone cancer.
Chrissy said it was not easy to deal with so much heartache but she drew inspiration from her mother.
"My mother hid the severity of her illness from us while we were mourning dad and fighting for Elisha," she said.
"I hope one day I will be as strong as she is."