Grieving a Dear Friend: Shannen Doherty’s Touching Tribute to Her Fellow Cancer Warrior

Over the weekend, Doherty, who is living with stage 4 breast cancer, pleaded for people to stay home amid the coronavirus outbreak. In addition to herself and those with compromised immune systems, Doherty offered another compelling reason to show compassion: “For one of my closest friends of over 28 years who has decided to end her battle with metastatic cancer and is in the hospital for the last time alone.” That friend was Waknin-Harnan.

The Cancer Bond: “We Were Sisters”

“We were together thru boyfriends and husbands. Divorces, tears and laughter … I was her maid of honor at her wedding to the love of her life Craig. We cried when she called to tell me she was pregnant with her extraordinary daughter Olivia,” Doherty wrote.

RELATED: Sisterhood of Support Shannon Doherty, Selma Blair & Sarah Michelle Gellar Together During Cancer, MS, and Life

“She was a constant,” Doherty continued. “Thru my cancer and I for her when she got diagnosed 4 years ago. She smiled, a lot. She radiated beauty, intelligence and goodness. She was and is wedged into my heart so deeply. We were more than best friends. We were sisters.”

Amy Grantham says cancer is "the great revealer," saying she learned who her friends were and who they weren't

How Cancer Can Reveal Who Your Friends Are

Many cancer survivors say that a diagnosis can reveal who your true friends are. “I very quickly learned who was really there in my life and who was just kind of on the outskirts of it when it was good for them or convenient for them,” survivor, Amy Grantham told SurvivorNet. “And it cut right through to the people that are most important in my life. Every single person that I’ve talked to and that I know who had cancer says the exact same thing … it really shows you who your true-blue friends are that are around you and who the bullshitters are.”

RELATED: 'I'm a Lucky Girl' Shannen Doherty Shares First Photo with Friend, Model Anne Marie Kortright Since Her Stage 4 Breast Cancer Revelation

Clearly, Doherty’s relationship with Waknin-Harwin fell into the true-blue category: “I will miss you forever, your advice, your laughter, your frankness. I will so miss you. I already do. I already feel it, this part of my heart missing. Deborah Waknin Harwin I love you.”

 

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Around 28 years ago when I met Deborah, she made me squeeze into very tight red patent pants. It was an instant friendship. A friendship that in 28 years has endured, grown and been cherished by us both. She taught me to play backgammon. She introduced me to the island of ST. Barth which started our girl trips there. She taught me that when she dressed me, I looked better lol. We were together thru boyfriends and husbands. Divorces, tears and laughter. We danced on tables (and fell off them- inside joke) all around the world together. I was her maid of honor at her wedding to the love of her life Craig. We cried when she called to tell me she was pregnant with her extraordinary daughter Olivia. She spoke 5 plus languages fluently. We went to the same high school we discovered. We worked on shows together. We grew up…. together. She was a constant. Thru my cancer and I for her when she got diagnosed 4 years ago. She smiled, a lot. She radiated beauty, intelligence and goodness. She was and is wedged into my heart so deeply. We were more than best friends. We were sisters. Tied to each other by the universe, by our very essences that recognized each other instantly. Deb I hope you are dancing on tables again, having a tequila and shooting the shit with God. I will miss you forever, your advice, your laughter, your frankness. I will so miss you. I already do. I already feel it, this part of my heart missing. Deborah Waknin Harwin I love you.

A post shared by ShannenDoherty (@theshando) on Mar 23, 2020 at 9:38am PDT

Finding a Support Network During Your Cancer Journey

For those who feel adrift during cancer treatment, a support group can provide much-needed comfort. The National Cancer Institute provides resources for connecting with a group that is right for you.

RELATED: "Call These Women, They're Great": Survivor Annie Ellis And The Support Groups That Helped Her Through Cancer

And in this era of social-distancing due to the coronavirus outbreak, many support groups have shifted online, offering connection through social media or meeting by tele-conference.

RELATED: Coronavirus Guide For Cancer Patients 

For anyone feeling isolated while facing cancer treatment, now is a good time to explore support resources to find a good fit.

RELATED VIDEO: Bianca Muniz admits she lost some friends after her second cancer diagnosis but found support through The Breasties.

Shannen Doherty's Cancer Journey

In 2015, Doherty found a lump in her breast that a biopsy determined was cancerous. She initially tried to fight the disease through hormone therapy but the cancer spread to her lymph nodes. A year after her diagnosis, she had a single mastectomy and underwent courses of chemotherapy and radiation followed by reconstructive surgery.

RELATED: Shannen Doherty Gives Shoutout to Friends That Have Your Back During Cancer 'She Made a Horrible Thing Touching, Funny, Memorable'

She received her new diagnosis stage 4 about a year ago, keeping the news private as she worked on filming the "90210" reboot (since canceled) leaning on castmates, such as Brian Austin Green, she said.

Doherty went public with her stage 4 diagnosis in an interview with ABC's Amy Robach, herself a breast cancer survivor on Feb. 4, 2020. "I definitely have days where I say, 'Why me?' she told Robach. “And then I go, 'Well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this?'" Doherty said. "None of us do."

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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