Twin Sisters Honor Mom's Last Wish by Getting Preventive Double Mastectomies: 'I Know She's Smiling Down' (Exclusive)

The day before their mother died of breast cancer, twin sisters Cailyn and Carissa Wulf promised her that they would both have double mastectomies.

Their mother, Heather Asche Wulf, 45, of Clear Lake, Iowa, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. She tested positive for the breast cancer gene BRCA 1. When her daughters were tested, they were also positive. She urged them to do something.

“My mom said, ‘Don’t wait,'” remembers Cailyn, 25. “She said, ‘Please do this.'”

Heather’s cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, brain and lungs. She died in July 2022 at the age of 48.

“It was really hard because she was our best friend,” says Cailyn. “If we had anything to talk about or ask or get advice, we would always go to our mom.”

Carissa and Cailyn Wulf.

Courtesy of Carissa and Cailyn Wulf

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Respecting her wishes and last advice, the twin sisters made the difficult decision to go through the difficult surgery and reconstruction together.

“She really wanted us to do it because she didn’t want us to go through what she was going through,” says Carissa.

The twins supported and encouraged each other every step of the way.

“We were very scared,” says Carissa. “If I didn’t have someone going through the same thing, it would have been a lot harder.”

The sisters live more than 1,000 miles apart. Carissa lives in Salt Lake City, Utah and Cailyn lives in Des Moines, Iowa. Both work as bartenders. Cailyn is also studying business using an online program at Iowa State. She hopes to work in sales.

The sisters were being treated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where their mother was also treated.

On February 5, 2024, Carissa had a nipple-sparing double mastectomy. Two days later, on February 7, 2024, Cailyn had hers. They just turned 25.

“Honestly, I cried the night before,” Cailyn says. “But I just knew it was for the better.”

Carissa Wulf.

Courtesy of Carissa and Cailyn Wulf

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People who carry BRCA 1 have more than a 60% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer, says the surgical oncologist who performed the twins’ mastectomies, Dr. Mara Pilton, assistant professor of breast and melanoma surgical oncology at the Mayo Clinic. With preventive surgery, the twin sisters reduced their risk of breast cancer by 90-95%, says Pilton.

“I think Cailyn and Carissa ended up making a fantastic decision and one that was right for them, but it’s never an easy decision to make,” says Piltin. “I felt pretty brave.”

Six to eight weeks after the operation, the nurses could not do much. “We just had to lie in bed. We couldn’t lift anything,” says Carissa. She spent about two months recovering at her sister’s home in Des Moines because it was only three hours from the hospital.

Their mother’s best friends went with them to doctor’s appointments and helped take care of their sisters.

“We literally went through all of this together,” says Cailyn. “We were there for each other.”

Six months after their mastectomies, they had reconstructive surgeries at the Mayo Clinic on the same day, just hours apart, on August 23, 2024.

Once again, Heather’s friends came to the aid of her daughters.

“They knew how my mom would feel if we did it, so they were very supportive,” Cailyn says. “It actually helped us a lot.”

Carissa, Heather and Cailyn Wulf.

Courtesy of Carissa and Cailyn Wulf

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Now, Carissa and Cailyn are comforted knowing they honored their mom’s last wishes and followed her advice.

“I know she’s smiling down there, she’s happy we made it,” Carissa says.

Because the BRCA1 gene carries a risk of ovarian cancer, they plan to have their ovaries removed after they are done having children.

Although they have significantly reduced their risk of breast cancer, their surgeon says, they still continue with regular check-ups. Carissa had a scare recently when she found a lump.

“He was super, super small, but I had to have an ultrasound because I was so nervous about it,” she says. But the doctors assured her that it was just scar tissue.

The Wulf twins.

Courtesy of Carissa and Cailyn Wulf

The twins are urging other young women with breast cancer in their family to get tested for the BRCA genes.

“Don’t be afraid,” Carissa says. “I feel that some young people may be very scared – as we were.”

She adds, “That test could save your life.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education