Rallying Around Your Peers After Cancer
- Comedian Kathy Griffin, 61, showed support on Instagram for Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, also 61, who rallied for women’s rights in NYC over the weekend.
- Griffin, who just beat lung cancer, coincidentally was one of the first celebrities in support of Louis-Dreyfus when she announced in 2017 that she had breast cancer.
- Support during and after cancer is so important. For many newly diagnosed cancer patients, a crucial aspect of receiving the news and coping with it is a support network.
“I love @officialjld,” Griffin wrote on her page, featuring a photo of her pal and fellow survivor in NYC holding up a sign protesting the potential Roe vs. Wade abortion rights reversal.
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Though Los Angeles-based Griffin had to cheer on Louis-Dreyfus from across the country this time, both women joined forces last November on the west coast in support of a Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) strike.
Griffin, who just beat lung cancer in December, coincidentally was one of the first celebrities in support of Louis-Dreyfus when she announced in 2017 that she had breast cancer.
The Grammy winner sent her love and “major respect” for Julia and “all the people who will be helped by her honesty,” in a re-tweet with Julia’s original message.
“1 in 8 women get breast cancer,” Julia wrote. “Today, I’m the one.” Taking her advocacy a step further, Louis-Dreyfus acknowledged her privilegea “most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, along with “fantastic insurance.”
“The bad news is that not all women are so lucky,” she continued, “so let’s fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality.”
2/ major respect, compassionate & love to Julia & all the people who will be helped be her honesty. https://t.co/QJbC3hw8VW
Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) September 28, 2017
Dreyfus was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2017, and underwent a double mastectomy for treatment as well as rounds of chemotherapy. While appearing at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Dreyfus recalled the moment where the soon-to-be-President Joe Biden called her in regards to her diagnosis, and like the other support she received, it meant so much to her.
"A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and I was absolutely terrified," the mother-of-two had said. "One of the first people who called me was Joe. His real warmth and kindness on that call, man, I got to say, it made me cry."
For many newly diagnosed cancer patients, a crucial aspect of receiving the news and coping with it is a support network. Support networks can be made up of people from different parts of your life.
The Benefit of Support Networks for Cancer Patients
Louis-Dreyfuswho has been married to actor Brad Hall for 35 yearshas spoken about how the overwhelming support from everyone helped her through treatment, and eased her anxiety about her double mastectomy.
Cut to just a few years later, and Kathy Griffin, a non-smoker, was fighting her own cancer battle. Like Julia, she chose to be vocal about her lung cancer diagnosis (last August), and continues to keep fans updated as she heals from lung surgery complications. Griffin unfortunately had to have half her lung removed, but in the end, it was worth it, since she is now cancer-free.
Luckily she was only diagnosed at stage one, which is much easier to treat. Despite having some expected ups and downs while recovering, Griffin has been making vast improvements.
By using her signature racy humor, she helps highlight important causes, and wakes people up about their health. Together, Julia and Kathy’s advocacy has inspired millions of fans, who are now more educated about the importance of cancer screenings, which save lives. It’s important that we support one another and continue sharing the cause so that we can get ahead of a potential diagnosis and add years on to our lives.
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