Holly Irwin, a nurse for Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School who is living with metastatic breast cancer, is using her experience to help educate others about the disease.

In January 2018, Holly Irwin, at the age of 47, received the devastating news that she had stage 2 breast cancer.

She knew she would face a trying battle that she continues to fight today with great courage and grace.

Holly, a nurse for Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School, experienced no signs or symptoms prior to being diagnosed, but there was a family history of breast cancer.

In 2016, following genetic testing recommended by her OB/GYN to determine if she had certain mutations that might increase her risk, the results stated that there was “no clinically significant mutation.” Holly said that this was a huge relief for herself and her two grown daughters.

In June 2017, Irwin, of Emlenton, had a normal mammogram, but in December of that same year a breast MRI revealed abnormal results, and by 2018 she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer.

Holly said that her first thoughts were, “Am I going to die? How do I tell my daughters?”

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