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Twin sisters Cortney Drover and Connie Claeys were both diagnosed with breast cancer at the early age of 29. Together they are using their platform to raise awareness to help women across Canada.
"I got diagnosed first," says Drover. "I'm the older twin by five minutes. Back in 2015, I found a lump under my arm. Not being educated in cancer at all, I thought it was nothing. I went to Emergency and they thought it was just a cold and that my lymph nodes were enlarged. It was my mom who kept pretty much begging me to go get it looked at."
Drover, who lives in Alberta with her sister, finally got the lump checked. Within days of her appointment, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Since her twin sister was diagnosed, Claeys thought it best to get checked as well. With no symptoms at all, the doctors found out that she also had breast cancer, only stage 2.
"You really think, it just can't happen to me," says Drover. "The only thing I really knew about cancer was that older people got it and that it was really bad."
At the time, Drover was a single mom with a son to take care of. The doctors told her after going through chemo that she may never get pregnant again. Once she finished her eight rounds, as she was gearing up for radiation she found out she was pregnant with what she calls her 'miracle baby,' a daughter, Avery.
"It's all about support because cancer can be such a lonely journey," says Drover. "You see your doctor so often they become a part of your world. I was tired a lot so I did need help raising my son at that time. Our family was amazing through it all. I always had somebody sitting beside me in the chemo chair and at my house making dinners. Me and Con actually moved in together when I got diagnosed to be the support. Your support people will be your push on your bad days, which you do have a lot of bad days."
While both sisters battled through breast cancer nine years ago, they thought the worst was behind them. Both sisters decided to have double mastectomies to hopefully prevent further chances of cancer. However, the sisters have both since been diagnosed with it again.
"In 2021, I was diagnosed again with metastatic breast cancer," says Drover. "It had spread to different parts of my body. I was super shocked as I couldn't have ever imagined it was going to come back. But here we are facing it together again."
Claeys was also diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 2022.
"Here we are again," says Claeys. "I always seem to be just behind her. It's kind of easier that we both have it because I couldn't imagine having to follow her and me not having it. It was really tough for those two years, to watch her go through it all. We have each other's support. In some weird, crazy world it just made sense that if one of us was going to have it we both should have it."
The sisters hope that sharing their story will help women who are walking the same cancer journey.
"We've always said if we can help just one person by getting our story out there, while I hope to help millions, but if we can help just one, we can't ask for more," says Drover. "If one story is like mine, I feel, okay, I'm not alone in this anymore."
October is breast cancer awareness month. Drover and Claeys have a clear message, especially this month, to help women know the signs and act on them.
"I would want people to know that, be an advocate for yourself," says Claeys. "Get tested if you feel like somethings wrong, or a lump. Make sure you ask about it. If something doesn't feel right, get one, two, three opinions on it. Advocate for yourselves."