‘Love Is Blind’ Star Shaina Hurley On Motherhood, Turning 36 and Still ‘Cancer-Free’ A Year After Her Diagnosis That Began While Pregnant

More than a year after being declared “cancer-free,” “Love Is Blind” alum Shaina Hurley is embracing life with renewed gratitude. Her joy today—rooted in motherhood, marriage, and healing—stands in stark contrast to the fear she faced when diagnosed with stage 2 cervical cancer just three months into her pregnancy with her son, Yiorgos.

 

View this post on Instagram

Read More

 

A post shared by Shaina Hurley (@shaina.hurley)

“I had no symptoms,” Hurley, who turns 36 this week, told People Magazine.
“But later, the doctor called me and said the pap smear results had come back as abnormal and they needed to get me in for a colposcopy,” she continued.

The diagnosis was devastating. Cervical cancer, which begins in the cells lining the cervix, often develops slowly and silently. Common symptoms like vaginal bleeding or pelvic pain weren’t present for Hurley, making the news even more jarring.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Shaina Hurley (@shaina.hurley)

As her pregnancy progressed, so did her anxiety. She feared for her baby’s life and her own.
“I felt the fear creeping in, but I knew then and there, I can’t let the enemy take over my mind. I can’t go down that dark hole,” Hurley said. “I had to go into survival mode and tell God, ‘I trust you.’ I just prayed for the best, at the end of the day.”

Hurley leaned into her faith and weighed her treatment options. Chemotherapy was offered, but she declined, choosing instead to delay surgery until after giving birth. Her son arrived healthy—but her fight wasn’t over.

“They did the surgery, waited two weeks, and it didn’t work,” she recalled. “The cancer was still in there.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Shaina Hurley (@shaina.hurley)

Determined to beat the disease, Hurley underwent a second procedure—a cold knife conization, which removes part of the cervix to treat early-stage cervical cancer. Two weeks later, she received the news she had prayed for: doctors had successfully removed all of the cancer. She was officially “cancer-free.”

Now, Hurley shares glimpses of her life on social media—date nights with her husband Christos Lardakis, playful moments with Yiorgos, and reflections on resilience. But the journey wasn’t without strain.

“I don’t think my husband and I ever had stronger battles in our marriage,” she said.

Cancer often tests the strength of relationships. One partner becomes a caregiver, the other a patient—both navigating emotional and physical tolls that can reshape a marriage. Hurley and Lardakis weathered those storms together, emerging stronger and more connected.

Navigating a Cervical Cancer Diagnosis

Cervical cancer forms in the cells of the cervix, the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb), which connects the uterus to the vagina, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

“Cervical cancer usually develops slowly over time. Before cancer appears in the cervix, the cells of the cervix go through changes known as dysplasia, in which abnormal cells begin to appear in the cervical tissue,” the NCI explains.

“Over time, if not destroyed or removed, the abnormal cells may become cancer cells and start to grow and spread more deeply into the cervix and surrounding areas.”

While symptoms tend to be difficult to detect during cervical cancer’s early stages, some signs can still indicate something is amiss and needs a closer look.

The NCI explains that symptoms of early-stage cervical cancer may include:

• vaginal bleeding after sex
• vaginal bleeding after menopause
• vaginal bleeding between periods or periods that are heavier or longer than normal
• vaginal discharge that is watery and has a strong odor or that contains blood
• pelvic pain or pain during sex

Tools to Help Cervical Cancer Prevention

As noted, a pap smear is an option to detect cervical cancer early. During the test, a doctor will collect a sample of cells from your cervix (using a small brush or spatula). The cells are then examined under a microscope for abnormalities, including cancer and changes that could indicate pre-cancer.

The added value of pap smears is that symptoms of cervical cancer might show up until the disease is at stage 3 or 4, and more challenging to treat. This critical procedure helps doctors catch signs of the disease early. Furthermore, pap smears can lead to broader and more effective treatment options.

One of the leading causes of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is “a group of more than 200 related viruses, some of which are spread through vaginal, anal, or oral sex,” the National Cancer Institute says. HPV infection is linked to multiple cancers, and the majority of sexually active people will get the disease at some point in their lives.

A study presented during last year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2023 annual meeting found that public awareness of the link between HPV and cervical cancer was on the decline.

“The important thing to know about HPV is that there are many different strains, and only a couple of them tend to be more cancer-inducing,” Dr. Allen Ho, a head and neck surgeon at Cedars-Sinai, told SurvivorNet.

“Probably less than 1% of the population who get infected happen to have the cancer-causing virus that somehow their immune system fails to clear, and over 15 to 20 years [it] develops from a viral infection into a tumor, and cancer,” Dr. Ho added.

Protecting Against HPV

The HPV vaccine is recommended to protect against HPV and, therefore, HPV-related cancers.

Gardasil 9 is an HPV vaccine that offers protection against “nine HPV types: the two low-risk HPV types that cause most genital warts, plus seven high-risk HPV types that cause most HPV-related cancer,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

The vaccine creates an immune response to HPV 16, the primary cause of 92% of head and neck cancers. Once children are vaccinated, they cannot be infected with that strain. For parents, the HPV vaccine enables them to protect their children from developing cancer in the future.

“The key with the vaccine is that you receive it before you have sexual encounters,” says Dr. Geiger. “So that’s why these vaccines are approved for young children … ages 9, 10, 11 years old, up to age 26.”

The HPV vaccine is recommended for all male and female preteens 11 to 12 years old in two doses given between six and 12 months, according to the CDC.

The series of shots can also start as young as nine.

The CDC also notes that teens and young adults through age 26 who didn’t start or finish the HPV vaccine series also need the vaccine.

Additionally, people with weakened immune systems or teens and young adults between 15 and 26 who started the series should get three doses instead of two.

Although adults up to 45 can still receive the vaccine, it’s not recommended for everyone older than 26. Still, a person older than 26 could choose to get vaccinated after talking to their doctor about possible benefits, even though it is less effective in this age range, as more people have already been exposed to HPV by this point.

WATCH: Should children get the HPV Vaccine?

Vaccine hesitancy can impede people from getting the vaccine. The concern may come from parents who may feel the vaccine paves the way for early sexual activity. For this reason, some health practitioners educate the public differently about the vaccine.

“I think rebranding the vaccine as a cancer vaccine, rather than an STD vaccine, is critically important,” says Dr. Ted Teknos, a head and neck cancer surgeon and scientific director of University Hospital’s Seidman Cancer Center.

Dr. Teknos believes concerted efforts to “change the mindset around the vaccine” can make a difference.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---