Allyn Rose, former Miss USA contestant, had double mastectomy at 26 to end family cancer legacy Allyn Rose, a former Miss USA contestant, underwent a preventive double mastectomy at 26 after losing her mother and several relatives to breast cancer. Now 38 and a mother of two, she runs a nonprofit educating women about breast cancer risk and prevention. Allyn Rose, a former Miss USA contestant, chose to undergo a preventive double mastectomy at age 26 after breast cancer devastated her family. She said the decision even sparked hate mail from critics. Today, at 38, she is a mother of two and founder of The Previvor, a nonprofit that educates women about breast cancer risk and prevention options. Her story comes as Oct. 31 marks the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Rose lost her mother when she was 16. By that age, she had also lost her grandmother, her great aunt and almost every woman in her family to the disease.Ending Family Legacy Of Breast CancerShe said she decided that legacy would end with her. I know a lot of people think that's a pretty radical choice for someone who hadn't been diagnosed with breast cancer yet, Rose told Fox News Digital. But I lost my mom when I was 16. And by the time I was 16, I had lost my grandmother, my great aunt, almost every woman in my family to this disease.And I said that legacy ends with me. She added, I don't want that to be my story. I don't want to have to tell my 16-year-old daughter someday that she's going to have to spend the rest of her life without her mom. This sad family legacy was not going to take my life if I had anything to do with it.Rose's mother, Judy Rose, was first diagnosed with breast cancer at 27 and had her right breast removed. The cancer later developed in her remaining breast, reaching stage 3. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S. after skin cancers, accounting for about 1 in 3 new cancer cases diagnosed in women each year, according to the American Cancer Society.The organization estimates that 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among U.S. women in 2026 and that about 42,140 women will die from the disease. Rose competed in both the Miss America and Miss USA pageants. She won the Miss Maryland USA title in 2011 and later competed at the national Miss USA pageant that year.Rose Undergoes Preventive Double MastectomyIn 2012, she was crowned Miss District of Columbia, earning the opportunity to represent the district at the 2013 Miss America pageant. That same year, at 24, Rose announced her decision to undergo a preventive double mastectomy. She had the surgery two years later, at 26. For women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a bilateral risk-reducing mastectomy can lower the risk of developing the disease by up to 90%, according to the National Cancer Institute.The procedure does not eliminate the risk entirely because it is impossible to remove all breast tissue that could become cancerous. Rose had an elevated risk of developing breast cancer because of her extensive family history. Rose said, So much of my life and my identity was wrapped up in the way that I looked and how I presented myself to the world. I paid my bills and my rent with the way that I looked.I didn't think my looks were 100% of my identity, but I would be lying if I didn't consider the repercussions of having a surgery like this. It would very likely end my modeling career, my career in pageantry, my career really in the entertainment industry. There were so few women talking about having a procedure like this and coming out on the other side. She added, I wasn't married.I didn't have any children. These were all conversations I was going to have with a future partner someday. And so, it was a really tough choice, and it's one that I'm glad that I made, but it's very difficult to make the decision to have a surgery to [prevent cancer]. With her father's support, Rose underwent the preventive double mastectomy.She ended up having three surgeries, including reconstruction, and went through what she described as very graphic periods of looking completely different, having no breasts, wondering who is ever going to be happy looking at me like this. Rose said her mother's death drastically impacted her life. She explained, It was my mother, but also I didn't know how to be a woman yet. I hadn't even gotten my driver's license.I hadn't graduated from high school. I hadn't sent myself off to college yet. I spent a lot of those real pinnacle years of my life without a mentor, without someone to guide me through that. It was a very challenging time really, having to be my own cheerleader, experience all those crowning achievements in my life by myself.Facing Hate Mail And BacklashRose said she received hate mail over her decision. Her father also faced criticism after people learned he had encouraged his daughter to have the surgery. Despite the backlash, Rose has become an advocate. She attended the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Hot Pink Party at The Glasshouse in New York City on May 13, 2025.She now leads The Previvor, which focuses on education about breast cancer risk and prevention options. Rose's message to women is personal. She wants others to know they can take action to reduce their risk. She also wants to break the cycle of loss in her family.Her decision at 26 was difficult, but she said she is glad she made it. Today she is focused on her two children and on helping other women facing similar choices.