Teary-eyed news anchor reveals her stage 3 cancer diagnosis on-air with a powerful message

Despite advancements in medical research and treatment, humanity has yet to find a cure for cancer. People diagnosed with cancer often rely on alternative treatments that may not be entirely effective and mostly depend on hope. Their chances of survival in the later stages are often low. A cancer diagnosis often leads to a complete change in a person's outlook on life. CNN's Sara Sidner finished her segment on Monday morning by revealing that she has been battling stage 3 breast cancer for the last few weeks. She shared her diagnosis with a powerful message, a clip of which has been shared on CNN's YouTube channel.

Sidner begins by saying she had a "personal note" to share with viewers. She proceeds to ask viewers to recount the names of eight women in their lives they cared for. She reveals, "Statistically, one of them will get or have breast cancer. I am that one in eight in my friend group." The anchor shared that she had not had any major diseases for most of her life and led a healthy lifestyle, drinking rarely and completely abstaining from smoking.

The woman also shared that her family did not have a history of breast cancer and yet she had been diagnosed with the same. She revealed that she was undergoing chemotherapy for two months and was planning to get a double mastectomy. The anchor boldly stated that having stage 3 breast cancer was not a "death sentence anymore." Sidner also stated: "If you happen to be a Black woman, you are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than your white counterparts."

She says, "So, to all my sisters, black and white and brown out there, please, for the love of god, get your mammograms every single year." She also posted on X (previously Twitter) with the same advice. Sidner explains how getting periodical medical tests would help people treat the disease before it worsens. The woman powerfully said that she "thanked cancer" for choosing her. Sidner concluded by saying: "I’m learning that no matter what hell we go through in life, that I am still madly in love with this life, and just being alive feels really different for me now. I am happier because I don’t stress about foolish little things that used to annoy me. And now, every single day that I breathe another breath, I can celebrate that I am still here with you.”

After her segment, people around the world lauded her for showing bravery in the face of cancer. @suemcknight9051commented: "What a wonderful testimonial to her health struggle…said so beautifully and certainly a hard thing to say to her audience. Wishing her all the best in every part of her journey." @HopeHan793 wrote: "I applaud her bravery and I genuinely pray for a miracle of healing to work in her life. She’s a phenomenal woman."

Just like Sidner, many bravely stand up to cancer and still make the best of their lives. Shell—who goes by @shellrowex on Instagram and @shellrowe on TikTok—has creatively utilized her hair loss to deal with the disease. u/a1pha_beta posted a video on Reddit that has gained 56K upvotes on the platform, which begins with a text overlay that says, "My parents are devastated that their little girl has cancer." The video cuts to reveal the girl putting cereals, noodles, and even sequins on her head with a text overlay that reads, "Me who can't stop sticking s**t on my head."

The same video, posted on TikTok by Shell, has received over 6 million likes on the platform. In the caption, she writes, "They're locking the kitchen cupboards as we speak." People on the site loved the girl's attitude and provided their support in the comments section. @itsqueensavage said, "Cancer is like, 'Damn it, I can't get to her.' God bless, keep up the vibe." @the_battles_she_won expressed, "It's the dark humor for me. Beautiful soul you are!"

Editor's note: This article was originally published on January 12, 2024. It has since been updated.