Judy West

Our mom, Judy M. West, died of breast cancer February 19, 1991, at age 49. While in her early 40’s, she found a lump on her breast and immediately pursued medical attention. She opted for a mastectomy and no further treatment options were suggested to her because her lymph node biopsies came back negative. Her sister, our aunt also had breast cancer in her late 20’s and colon cancer in her late 50’s, which she battled for a few years until it took her life.

Mom's breast cancer metastasized to her lungs a few years after her diagnosis. She went through about a year of treatment. The tumors were reduced, but not gone. She opted for an experimental treatment called a "Bone-Marrow Rescue" which at that time (the early 1990s) they thought could be a chance for a cure for breast cancer. Our Mom lost her life in a very high-dose chemotherapy that she received to reduce her immune system down to nothing and then was given her bone marrow they had taken from her prior to the chemotherapy. She contracted a septic infection and eventually her kidneys failed. She lost her battle February 19, 1991, in a Chicago hospital.

Our mom was a strong, caring and remarkable person. Our mom’s life was cut short, but she accomplished so much before her death. During her life, she had a remarkable impact on many people including family, friends and colleagues. Perhaps her most important contribution was leading the way for women in the legal profession and judiciary in the state of Kentucky. She was the first female Judge appointed to Kenton District Court (1980) and also the first female Court of Appeals Judge (1987).

Genetic testing was not available at the time of her death, 1991, but became available in 1996. Knowing about the genetic link between breast and ovarian cancer, when a strong family history exists, could have made a difference in Judy’s daughter’s (Nancy Romer’s) life. So now Judy’s children want to help others “know their past…to improve their future.” Educating the public, primary care physicians and OB/GYN’s about the need for genetic testing if a strong family history exists is our mission.

The Children of Judy M. West,
Larry Charles West, Jr., James West and Nancy West Romer