20-year-old to undergo preventative mastectomy

Kelly Rothe to be Beaumont Hospitals youngest patient to undergo a mastectomy

At just 20 years old, Kelly Rothe is making a life-altering decision.

On Friday she will undergo a double mastectomy, making her Beaumont Hospitals youngest patient to ever undergo the surgery.  

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Her mother died of breast cancer when she was only 9 years old.  Her aunt also died from the disease. 

When she was 18, Kelly tested positive for the BRCA-1 gene mutation, the same gene that caused the cancer in both her mother and aunt.

Now she is taking preventative measures to greatly decrease her risk of being diagnosed with the cancer in the future.  

The Eastern Michigan University junior received quite the surprise from some of her favorite people before the big surgery. 

On Thursday, during a family dinner at the Olympia club, she was treated to a performance by her favorite band.

Kelly's favorite Red Wing Jimmy Howard also showed up, surprising her with flowers inside the team's locker room.