Making a Difference
- Sofia Vergara, 48, is doing her part to help underserved communities and small businesses around the world who have been affected by the pandemic. “I knew I had to do something, something that was going to make a difference, something more than a social media post,” she tells People magazine.
- Vergara is a thyroid cancer survivor, and was diagnosed in 2000 by chance when her son’s doctor caught the lump in her neck.
- According to the National Cancer Institute, “Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland,” which is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck. Signs of thyroid cancer include a swelling or lumps in the neck. There are tests to examine the thyroid and neck in order to diagnose thyroid cancer, along with blood tests.
“I knew I had to do something, something that was going to make a difference, something more than a social media post,” she tells People of feeling an urge to help people affected globally by the pandemic. Vergara is one of the magazine’s “Women Changing the World” featured in their current issue.
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Vergara is already in a seemingly perfect partnership with actor and True Blood star Joe Manganiello, 44. The pair have been married since 2015. Vergara has a son Manolo, 28, with her ex husband Joe Gonzalez, a Canadian celebrity.
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Vergara is a Survivor
Vergara found the lump in her neck by chance in 2000. She had taken her son to get checked out early for diabetes since her family has a history of the disease, which affects how your body uses blood sugar. “While we were there, the doctor wanted to check me, too, and he found a lump in my neck,” the America’s Got Talent judge told Health.
Vergara had no symptoms at the time and questioned having to undergo surgery but she went through with itfollowed by iodine radiation treatment, and was glad she did. "When you go through something like this, it's hard, but you learn a lot from it," she said. "Your priorities change. You don't sweat the small stuff. And it had a good ending."
She had to take a pill every day. "It controls your body's metabolism and gives you the levels that you need. An unregulated thyroid can lead to problems with your weight, hair loss, and other things, so they give me a blood test every three months to see where my level is," she said.
"Actually, I feel very lucky. In a lot of women, the cancer isn't found until around menopause and by then its too late."
The Latin bombshell, who has always had a charitable side to her, helped build a cancer center in her hometown of Barranquilla. “I visited the cancer ward of a hospital in Colombia, and parents were just sitting on the floor while their kids were being treated,” she said. “When you’re a mother and your kid is sick, you feel it yourself. She wanted “to set up a comfortable place for parents.”
What Exactly is Thyroid Cancer?
According to the National Cancer Institute, “Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland,” which is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck.
Signs of thyroid cancer include a swelling or lump in the neck. There are tests to examine the thyroid and neck in order to diagnose thyroid cancer, along with blood tests. Thyroid nodules, unusual growths in the thyroid gland, are common but usually are not cancer. Feeling for lumps in your neck (or breasts, or anywhere else in your body) is always a good idea, along with getting routine checkups at the doctor’s office.
An Inspiring Thyroid Cancer Survivor who Battled the Disease During the Pandemic
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