Thriving Through Cancer
- Former America’s Got Talent frontrunner Jane Marczewski, aka Nightbirde, is continuing to keep her spirits up amid her stage 4 cancer battle, despite having had to recently drop out of the competition to make her health a top priority.
- The singerwho took the world by storm since her debut on the showposted a picture of herself on a boat in Newport Beach, Calif., saying that she was feeling super sick until someone said “wine cruise,” and joked that she luckily didn’t throw up in the harbor.
- Staying positive while fighting cancer can make a world of difference in survivorship, even with stage 4 patients, Dr. Zuri Murrell from Cedars-Siniai Medical Center tells SurvivorNet.
The talented singer, 30, who unfortunately had to bow out of the hit competition series because her health took a turn for the worse, is still going strong and showing that she’s living life with a humorous outlook.
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The cancer warrior also posted a photo on her Instagram stories looking happy with a gal pal during the outing. “Laughed so hard my cancer shrunk,” she joked.
The show’s fan favorite, who has amassed millions of followers with her talent and inspiring story since her first audition with her song It’s Okay, made a surprise virtual appearance on the show recently. Judge Simon Cowell reassured her that she has not let anyone down.
“I know that the last time we spoke, you actually said you feel like you've let people down,” Cowell said, acknowledging the importance of making her health her top priority. “I just want to say on behalf of us all that you haven't let anyone down. Even though you haven't competed, you've already won … your clip has had such an impact on so many people your courage and who you are."
Marczewski detailed her cancer progressing while interviewing with CNN’s Chris Cuomo last month. "I got shocking news less than a week ago about cancer regrowth that has taken over my lungs and liver," she told him. "So my liver right now is mostly cancer. More cancer than liver in there right now. But like I said, I'm planning my future, not my legacy. Some people would call that blind denial. I prefer to call it rebellious hope. And I'm not stopping anytime soon."
Dr. Zuri Murrell from Cedars-Siniai Medical Center says that staying positive during a cancer battle can make a world of a difference, even for advanced cancer patients.
“My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that theyabout a month after they’re diagnosedI kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK, he told SurvivorNet. “Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow. But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients whothey have gratitude in life.”
Marczewski was diagnosed with terminal cancer on New Year's Eve in 2019. Doctors found "innumerable tumors" on her liver, lungs, lymph nodes, ribs, and spine and they gave her six months to live.
The disease started in her breast in 2017 when she found a 4 cm tumor, according to her GoFundMe page. She had 6 rounds of chemotherapy, and three surgeries, including a double mastectomy. There is no breast cancer history in her family.
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"With traditional chemotherapy treatment the doctors are hopeful they can extend Jane's life by up to 3 1/2yrs," her brother Mitch wrote early last year when the cancer had metastasized. There were "3 sizable tumors in her lungs, 'innumerable' small tumors in her liver, 3 tumors in her spine., 'innumerable' tumors throughout her ribs, and 'innumerable' amounts of smaller tumors in her nodes as well," he wrote. Marczewski had a brief remission in 2020, but the cancer came back. She has been fighting ever since, and inspiring millions of others along the way with her grace and beautiful outlook on life, with the important reminder to keep on living life each and every day!
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