Cancer is a disease that affects most of us at some point in our lives—whether it be our own diagnosis or that of a loved one. Created in 2000 to be held every February 4, World Cancer Day is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to face one of our greatest challenges.
2021 Campaign theme is: “I Am and I Will”. It shows us that our actions have an impact on everyone around us, within our neighborhoods, communities, and cities. And that more than ever, our actions are also being felt across borders and oceans. This year is a reminder of the enduring power of cooperation and collective action. When we choose to come together, we can achieve what we all wish for: a healthier, brighter world without cancer. Together, all of our actions matter.
We bring you a peep into stories of celebrities who were diagnosed with cancer and came out victorious.
“Time is shortening. But every day that I challenge this cancer and survive is a victory for me.” – Ingrid Bergman
“Cancer has shown me what family is. It showed me a love that I never knew really existed.” – Michael Douglas
“Above all, cancer is a spiritual practice that teaches me about faith and resilience.” – Kris Carr
“Cancer opens many doors. One of the most important is your heart.” – Greg Anderson
“Hey listen, the world is falling apart, what’s a lip,” she joked, adding that her doctor “dug into” her lip to remove the cancer. “Yeah, they did [biopsy it.] I’m going to be fine, thanks.” Jane Fonda
Colombian-American actress Sofia Vergara skyrocketed to fame with her role of Gloria Pritchett on the hit TV show Modern Family. Vergara said, “I was skeptical about having my thyroid gland removed. Plus, the surgery is dangerous. If the doctor makes a mistake, you can lose your speech, or the mobility in your face. But I did it.”
Special correspondent Joan Lunden was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2014. Today, she is cancer-free and has become an advocate for other women facing breast cancer. In her words “I’m not going to lie: Losing your hair is really weird. Hair is such an integral part of how you look and feel and when you take it away, it’s weird. It’s like someone drew a picture of you, but just erased the hair! Remember, you’re still you, you might just not look exactly like you for a while.” She adds, “I tried as much as I could to maintain a somewhat normal schedule. I was set to host a baby shower for my pregnant daughter and kept it on my calendar. I decided that cancer wasn’t going to take that away from me.”
TV host Samantha Harris shared in her instagram “Five years ago today, I lay in a hospital bed awaiting my bilateral mastectomy. Today, I am stronger than ever! Five years ago, I had invasive breast cancer. Just 40 years old. My hubby and I have little girls who were just ages 3 and 6 at the time. Life stopped. Forget the daily hustle. It became all about survival. I didn’t know what the next days, weeks and months would entail. I just knew I needed to get through it. Survive then focus on trying to thrive. My diagnosis blindsided me, my husband and our family. My dad died of colon cancer…so my diagnosis news hit my mom and sister hard, too. My hubby, although strong for me and our girls, felt scared and worried about how he would get along without me and raise two girls without their mom/his wife, if this didn’t all go the way we prayed.”
There are many more like Judy Blume, Jaclyn Smith, Betsey Johnson, Shannon Miller who are a role model in their own way to help us understand significance of good health.
Here’s to wishing all those struggling with cancer all the best. Do not lose hope and Happy World Cancer Day everyone!