Fighting Breast Cancer With Heart and Spirit
- Bulgarian Comedy Actor, Bianca Ilich, had just moved to New York City to attend the famed Lee Strasberg acting school when she was told she had cancer.
- Initially, she didn't want to get a mammogram, or a biopsy, because it could put her career on hold.
- When her gynecologist called her to tell her she had cancer, like so many others when they get their diagnosis, she was scared.
Super Bianca is known for her singing, dancing, smiling, and her infectious laugh. The character's trademark look includes a pink cape, pink skirt, and blue leotard with a "B" emblazoned on the front. Sporting a black fury vest and short blonde hair, Ilich spoke with SurvivorNet about her comedy persona and her cancer diagnosis.
View this post on InstagramRead More "Super Bianca is not afraid to ask the uncomfortable questions," Ilich says with a sly smile. "She's smiley, she's positive, and she's brave. She's something between Joan of Arc and Robin Hood."Ilich lived a life of success and notoriety in Bulgaria, appearing on talk shows and TV programs with memorable and an ever-changing look. One day she might be channeling a Gatsby-era Daisy Buchanan with an Eton crop, and the next she might be looking like a wholesome Mary Tyler Moore with a sleek brunette hairstyle.
But she was ready for new adventures. Ilich says with a smile, "I took this beautiful life in Bulgaria, and I threw it away." She was ready to take on the Big Apple.
"I decided I have to pursue my dream to study with Lee Strasberg [at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City]," Ilich says. "And in the meantime, I fall in love, and I came to New York City. I applied to Lee Strasberg. I got married."
At a routine check-up, she was told she needed a mammogram. "Everyone said, 'No, you are too young. Why do you need a mammogram?'"
But the moment they did the mammogram, they figured out that there was something wrong, and they immediately asked me to go in and do a biopsy." Super Bianca was here to take on New York, and she had bigger plans than biopsies.
"My response was, 'Are you crazy? I don't have time for this! I have to go audition! My agent is waiting for me. I have to do this and that.'" Bianca says with a laugh, remembering that day, "I'm not doing a biopsy. Just figure out what's happening and let me know."
In December 2018, Ilich's gynecologist called her. "It was the shortest phone call I ever had," she remembers. The doctor asked her to sit down, and she said, "Don't beat around the bush, just tell me what's going on." He told her she had breast cancer.
With her parents thousands of miles away in Bulgaria, she felt very alone. "My parents are in Bulgaria; there's no one to advise me." Ilich buckled down and prepared to fight her battle. She started visiting doctors and kept a positive mindset throughout her treatment. "I don't believe that my cancer will come back," she says, now that her cancer is gone. "I'm still the same smiling, positive person."
Super Bianca brings smiles and hope to others fighting their breast cancer battles. And she shows how positivity can truly pay off in the end.
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