Katie Thurston has recently revealed a scar on her chest from a lumpectomy that she underwent 10 years ago.
On Wednesday, the 30-year-old shared a selfie on her Instagram Story, revealing a scar on her chest that she said she often receives questions about.
She wrote, “It’s from a lumpectomy after finding a lump in my breast. Because I was only 20, I discovered this on my own.”
“Typically women don’t get routine mammograms until their 40s,” she added, “so it’s important to be your biggest advocate when it comes to your personal health.”
Thurston then mentioned the L4 Project, which was founded by Bachelorette suitor Michael Allio in memory of his wife, Laura, who died of breast cancer in 2019.
L4 Project supports programs aimed at helping families and patients with cancer diagnoses so they “can focus on treatment and recovery more successfully.”
The program’s mission is to encourage others to advocate for their own health.
Allio exited Thurston’s season during Monday night’s episode. That choice came after a heartbreaking phone call with his 4-year-old son James, who wondered aloud whether his dad did not want to see him.
Earlier this week, Allio told PEOPLE, “It was obviously a really difficult decision [to leave the show] but as a parent, it was black and white.”
“When your child says that, you answer the call. And I think a lot of single parents probably have to deal with the fact that when they’re pursuing their own happiness, it does take a little bit from the time they’re spending with their child,” he continued. “It’s a constant balancing act that’s happening. But I would do it all over again and make the same decisions.”
He said getting to sit down with Thurston during the Men Tell All special gave him the “closure” he was longing for, according to PEOPLE.
He said “I’ve been waiting to have this conversation with Katie for a while — I mean, since the day I left New Mexico, it’s been on my mind. She did provide clarity for me to be able to begin starting over and finding [love] all over again.”
