Christina ApplegateWe've long been aware that Christina Applegate – whom we've loved in shows like Married … with Children, Samantha Who? and the new Up All Night – is a terrifically adaptable actress. A Hollywood survivor and serial master of the situation comedy, Applegate finds humor and heart in whatever TV writers throw at her.

In recent years, Applegate has also proven herself to be another kind of survivor: a breast cancer survivor, and one who has worked dedicatedly to raise awareness of the disease in young women. Thanks to her good prognosis and reconstructive surgery, she has joked, "I'm going to have cute boobs 'til I'm 90." 

To mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the actress is teaming up with online designer-label retailer Gilt to raise money for her foundation, Right Action for Women, which she set up in the hopes of teaching other women about the early-detection methods she thinks saved her life.

Creations from designers like Robert Rodriguez, Mark + James, Giuseppe Zanotti, Black Halo, Lauren Merkin, Badgley Mischka, and Reem Acra, as well as a Right Action for Women necklace by Alex Woo, will all be on sale as part of the fundraiser.


Applegate's own experience with cancer has inspired her to help other women. Because of her family health history (her mother also battled breast cancer), she began getting mammograms at 30. Luckily, she had a doctor who told her that, due to the density of her breast tissue, mammograms alone might not tell the whole story. The doctor ordered a series of MRIs, which revealed cancerous tissue.

Although the disease was found in only one of the actress' breasts, testing showed that Applegate had a genetic mutation, BRCA1, meaning her risk for cancer was very high. She ultimately chose to have prophylactic mastectomies to remove both breasts, and now is totally cancer-free, with a dramatically reduced chance of recurrence. 

Applegate's story can inspire all of us -- and thanks to her joint effort with Gilt, we can donate money for a worthy cause by shopping for designer shoes, guilt-free.

Do you think Christina Applegate is an effective spokeswoman for breast cancer?

 

Image via watchwithkristin/Flickr