Cancer Type – Breast
Bio – Rita Wilson the actress and wife of Tom Hanks encourages women to get mammogram’s routinely and to trust their gut, because her gut instinct saved her life. Read her story here…
Short Story – In April of 2015, Rita Wilson announced she had undergone a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery after a diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma.
The actress who is married to Tom Hanks, had been religious about getting mammograms. After a gut feeling that something was not right after a routine check-up and a negative pathology report, the star sought after a second opinion, and then a third.
Confirming breast cancer, Wilson speaks out to women to trust their instincts, and get routine mammograms starting at the age of 40. Her gut feeling saved her life. If it was not for that and a great girl friend, she may have never asked for a second opinion. Cancer has brought a renewed gratitude for health and family in her life, and she expresses the importance of happiness in your life – with or without cancer.
“You can find joy, love, intimacy, care, laughter and good times even while you’re going through this,” said Wilson. “Eventually, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and you begin to see it.”
As an advocate for breast cancer, we love to hear that this disease brought her and her husband closer together. “Who knew it would make you even closer?” Wilson, 58, said in a feature in The New York Times. “You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this. I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me.”
Thank Rita for providing hope for so many women in their battle in this disease.
Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/RitaWilson/
Rita Wilson Breast Cancer Update
Thankfully Rita is still cancer-free today. She is also still an advocate of cancer, encouraging women to get mammograms starting at age 40.
Rita believes it is important that women get mammograms starting at 40, even if breast cancer does not run in the family, and to follow their instincts. Get a second or even third opinion if they feel something is wrong.
March of 2020, Rita and husband, Tom Hanks, revealed they tested positive for the covid19 virus. Thankfully they recovered. She joined up with the American Nurses Association on their initiative, The Race to 200 Million, that is aimed at getting 200 million Americans vaccinated for the flu for the 2020-2021 flu season. Rita has said she never wants covid19 or the flu again.
She also still supports the Moffitt Cancer Center, International Myeloma Foundation, and the Women’s Cancer Research Fund.
Thank you, Rita, not only for your support and advocacy about breast cancer but also for the need for vaccinations against the flu and covid19. Once there is a vaccine available, it just proves that together we can get through anything.
| Born | Margarita Ibrahimoff, October 26, 1956 (age 63), Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship | American, Greek |
| Occupation | Actress, producer, singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse(s) | Tom Hanks (m. 1988) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Hassan Ibrahimoff, Dorothy Wilson |
| Relatives | Colin Hanks (stepson) |
| Musical career | |
| Generes | Country |
| Labels | Sing It Loud Records |
| Associated acts | Eamonn McCrystal, Jimmie Allen |
Image Credits – Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
