After six arduous months of treatment, a mastectomy and the loss of 32 lymph nodes, Danielle says it’s also only fitting she had 16 members of the family join her in costume for the heroic celebration.
“The whole point wasn’t to be Wonder Woman by myself,” says the mother of five-year-old twin girls.
“The whole superhero thing was about the whole family.”
Danielle says she couldn’t have got through the treatment without their unflinching support and love.
Just a few months ago she’d gone to the doctor complaining of shooting pain and lump in her right breast.
She was rushed off for an ultrasound that same day and within a week had started chemo.
With the help of a geneticist, who found an aunt who had died of breast cancer, Danielle discovered she had the rare hereditary gene BRCA 1 which increases the risk of the cancer by 80%.
“That is the frustrating part of it; had we known earlier we would have been able to make a decision,” Danielle tells The Brisbane Times.
“Both my sisters have since been tested for BRCA 1. My twin five-year-old girls could be at risk with the BRCA 1 gene as well.
“I am the first one to break the cycle. Hopefully we can get on top of it.”
Danielle says she also wanted to dress as Wonder Woman to honour the many other women she met during her long chemo battle.
“There are so many women and children surviving chemo everyday,” she adds.
“Everyone in that chemo ward are all superheroes. As sick as they are, as sick as we all are, we are all just in it together.
“Seeing everyone else there, they lifted my spirits.”
Danielle implores all women to get tested for the BRCA gene if their family has a history of breast or ovarian cancer.
“I would urge people to have the test and work out what they want to do – that is the only way to prevent it.”
Main image courtesy of Samantha Gale/Love Letters Photography
