Dance Moms coach and cancer survivor, Abby Lee Miller, is mourning the loss of her close friend and dance mentor, Charlotte Klein, who Miller says was an inspiration to her throughout her career. For many of us going through loss right now is especially challenging.
How Abby Lee Miller Dealt With Losing Her Mentor Charlotte Klein
On Instagram, Miller, 53, shared a photo of her and Klein and shared a heartfelt message in honor of her close friend. In the post, Miller recalls attending dance competitions alongside Klein, and admired how talented her dance company was and how much she learned from Klein’s mentorship.
Read MoreAbby Lee Miller’s Cancer Journey
Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in April 2018, and underwent an emergency surgery on her spine as well as six rounds of chemotherapy treatment. Despite regularly attending physical therapy treatments, Miller is still confined to an electric wheelchair in order to be mobile. However, she’s been sharing her progress through Instagram posts, by posting videos of her walking with a walker, swimming, and moving her feet during appointments. Miller has been extremely transparent about how she struggled with treatment and the impact being paralyzed has had on her mental health, but she has also said that she will keep fighting to build her muscles again.
Dr. Angela Wicker-Ramos explains how physical therapy can help patients through cancer treatment
The Importance Of Friendship While Battling Cancer
A support system can be critical for cancer patients going through treatment, as it helps them not only cope with the diagnosis, but also remain positive. Diana Faison was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the day before her 58th birthday, and even though losing her hair was an emotional experience, she was able to get through it thanks to her family and friends surrounding her.
“The gift that cancer gives you is friends and family and faith like you’ve never experienced,” Faison tells SurvivorNet.
Related: 'Cancer Ghosting' Is Real Many Survivors Say Friends Suddenly Disappear After a Diagnosis
Faison isn’t the only cancer survivor who turned to friends during treatment. In an interview with SurvivorNet, fellow ovarian cancer survivor Linda Richmond shared that she was able to remain positive during her battle with cancer due to her community. Thanks to their support, Richmond admitted she never felt lonely during treatment.
Ovarian cancer survivor Linda Richmond says she never felt down during her cancer battle
"The love and support I had, I don't think I would have come out of it as well emotionally and physically," Richmond says. "I just never felt alone. I never had a chance to get down about it. I always had somebody there to talk to or help me through. When people find out you have cancer they always like to tell you these terrible stories of somebody else they've known who had cancer that maybe didn't have a good outcome. My biggest advice to someone that's just been recently diagnosed with any kind of cancer is to block that out and just do what your doctors say and don't give up."
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