Friendship Forever
- Lady Gaga is a long-time advocate for cancer research.
- She lost her very close friend to stage 4 breast, lung, and brain cancer in 2017.
- Gaga still honors her friend’s memory with heartwarming birthday messages.
In 2017, while filming A Star is Born, Gaga’s close friend Sonja Durham passed away a long battle with stage 4 cancer in her breast, brain and lung. According to Gaga, she was on the movie set when she received news that Durham’s prognosis was not good, and rushed to the hospital to be by her side. However, 15 minutes before Gaga arrived, Durham had passed away. Durham was the longtime managing director of Haus of Gaga, the singer’s cosmetic line, and had been a confidante to Gaga throughout her career.
Read More"I vow to be a little stronger everyday for her because that's what she would have wanted, I vow to be stronger for anyone who's lost somebody to cancer,” Gaga wrote in a passionate Instagram message. “I'm a part of that family now. I vow to be a warrior for her and be a voice for cancer patients so the world can continue to improve the dialogue and the fight. I loved her. I still love her.”
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Losing a loved one to cancer is a devastating experience, and can really put life into perspective for many people. Clearly Gaga has taken life lessons from watching Durham fight three types of cancer at the same time, and is encouraging everyone to spread a little joy through her new book Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community.
During Cancer Treatment, It’s So Important To Have a Support System
Facing cancer can take a huge toll on someone, both physically and emotionally. It’s common for people to experience a roller coaster of emotions after diagnosis, such as anxiety, fear, confusion, anger, and more. It’s so important to cope with these feelings, and that’s how a support system can be extremely helpful.
In order to feel properly supported, it’s critical you identify the friends who will be there through the highs and lows during treatment. Helping someone battle this disease isn’t always easy, but studies have proven that patients who are able to stay positive typically have more successful treatment outcomes.
Related: 'Cancer Ghosting' Is Real Many Survivors Say Friends Suddenly Disappear After a Diagnosis
This was the case for Carrie Kreiswirth, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. During treatment, Carrie started struggling with feeling like herself and it lasted even after being declared in remission. Even though she had friends close to her during the process, she really wanted the support of her sister and brother who lived out of the area. However, they stepped up, and stood by Carrie’s side.
“My brother and sister did not live near me at the time,” Carrie tells SurvivorNet. “They made sure that they were at my doorstep that evening, so they could come with me to my appointment the following day, which I am grateful for now, I was grateful for then, and I will be grateful forever. My brother and sister helped ask questions, take notes…I also had a lot of help through friends and family who just didn’t give up on me. I don’t feel like I’ll ever be able to repay that debt.”
Breast cancer survivor Carrie Kreiswirth explains how her support system helped her
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