Actress Mindy Cohn Reveals 5-Year Fight Against Breast Cancer
Photo credit: People
Many may remember her as the dark-haired girl in the popular 80s sitcom, The Facts of Life. On screen, she can be seen portraying the woe and trials of being a teenager.
More than 30 years later, she shares with the public that she's been enduring a much harder battle in her life. In 2012, Mindy was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The 51-year-old actress has been through tougher times since her portrayal as a young, teenage girl on public television. The Los Angeles native was diagnosed in 2012 with breast cancer, changing her life and propelling her into a 5-year battle with a dreadful disease. She first noticed symptoms when she was walking around the neighborhood one morning. Simple walks left her feeling extremely tired, and she was also feeling increasingly more fatigued with the simplest daily activities. At one point, she really didn't have the energy to go anywhere anymore, which is very unlike her naturally sociable personality. Her fatigue set led her to text friends for help to get around.
Mindy finally went to the doctor to address her symptoms
Mindy knew that something was wrong with her body, so she decided to go to the doctor. Much to her surprise, a scan showed something abnormal in her breast. After a biopsy, she received the devastating news that it was breast cancer. Mindy kept this diagnosis a secret from others for a very long time.
Mindy battled her disease alone for the next 5 years. Now, at age 51, she shares what she's gone through during her battle against the tumor. She's undergone a double mastectomy, radiation, and chemotherapy to eradicate the malignant cells.
Cancer kept coming back
Before receiving her diagnosis, Cohn was very active in her social life, always the center of her circle of friends. However, the five-year battle against cancer was draining, and it took a toll on her naturally optimistic nature. Her cancer had metastasized when they diagnosed her, meaning that it kept spreading and coming back despite all of her treatments. It was frustrating for Mindy, especially because it was out of her control. Despite trying everything she possibly could to eradicate her disease, cancer just kept coming back.
Mindy had always led an active and busy lifestyle. Since her acting role in the Facts of Life, she also continued to perform some additional on-camera roles, and she was also the voice of Velma in the hit cartoon, What's New Scooby-Doo, for over 10 years. But after finding out about her cancer in 2012, she retreated from her busy Hollywood career to recuperate.
Despite her cancer spreading, Mindy never gave up. Now, she is celebrating cancer-free remission after a restful recovery on a rural farm owned by close friends that she considers to be family. Though she kept her illness a secret from the world for some time, she was not alone in her fight against cancer. Mindy found safety and support from her close pals, Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge. Kilmer-Purcell and Ridge are both lifestyle gurus who are known for their reality TV show, The Fabulous Beekman Boys. The two share a large, 60-acre farm located just outside of Sharon Springs in New York State. Here, Mindy found a tranquil place to stay while she battled her disease. It was the perfect, peaceful location for a quiet recovery. Mindy sees these two close friends as her family. For her, they are as important to her as her blood relatives, as they are her family by choice.
Mindy celebrates cancer-free remission 5-years after her initial diagnosis
Now, Mindy is happy to say that she is cancer free. She has not allowed her 5-year battle to slow down her love for acting. She plans to dive right back into her Hollywood career and is back on her social media. You can check out her most recent posts on Twitter and Instagram. She's also feeling good enough to plan a trip out to South America, and she plans on visiting Machu Picchu next year. She will be climbing the mountains in Peru with her chosen family, Kilmer-Purcell and Ridge.
Mindy hopes to get right back into her love for acting
The actress is looking forward to getting back into her acting game. She's excited to see what kind of interesting acting roles are in store in her near future. She's feeling healthy and great and wants to get right back to work. Acting is her passion, and at 51, she's not quite ready to retire just yet. Reportedly, she's going to be the voice of an air traffic controller in a series soon to be aired, called "Fly".
Mindy was seen recently showing off a new look. She's got her first official haircut since her she's reached remission. You can see her stylishly wearing her hair in an edgy, cropped haircut, ready to get back in the Hollywood game.
Mindy is another wonderful cancer survivor success story
Mindy is a role model and cancer survivor. Though she was plagued with a horrifying diagnosis, she stayed strong and fought her disease long and hard. Once cancer has metastasized, people often get discouraged, especially when doctors don't offer good statistics on survival rates. Mindy had to endure this and more, as she repeatedly found that her cancer had spread or returned during her long battle with the disease. It was no easy feat to go through what she did, but she had the support of loving friends and family keep her spirits up. She's now celebrating well-deserved remission and her bravery was rewarded in the end. Now, she can return to her passion for acting and focus on living her life to the fullest. It's amazing how far love, support, and determination can go to help people overcome the deadliest of diseases. Even cancer can't stop Mindy Cohn from doing what she loves most!
References
http://people.com/tv/facts-of-life-star-mindy-cohn-secret-five-year-breast-cancer-battle/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0169934/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078610/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk1
https://www.today.com/health/facts-life-star-mindy-cohn-reveals-her-5-year-battle-t117675
