A Voice of Hope
After winning the battle against breast cancer, the famed actress and singer became an advocate for research and prevention of this feared disease.
Olivia Newton-John with her grandniece Tascha.
For singer Olivia Newton-John, picking the most challenging day of a lifetime is no contest. On July 2, 1992, she suffered two terrible blows within hours.
First, the star of Grease learned that her beloved father had died after a lengthy illness. Hours later, the then-44-year-old star found out she had breast cancer.
“It was so devastating that it was almost laughable,” recalls Ms. Newton-John, who had visited her doctor after finding a lump during self-examination. “I was in shock for several days, and I remember asking myself: “What could possibly happen next?””
Within days, she says, shock gave way to terror, “I would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, with this feeling of absolute dread. It was as if death were sitting right on my shoulder.”
Like nearly 200,000 U.S. women diagnosed with breast cancer each year, Olivia Newton-John -faced one of life’s harshest challenges. She realized her life depended not on her charm or talent, but on finding the courage to undergo extensive treatment.
It was a grim prospect, she recalls. Fortunately, she had at least one powerful weapon. She knew that her daughter Chloe, then 6, would be rooting for her at every step.
After consulting specialists, Ms. Newton-John underwent a radical mastectomy (breast removal) and chemotherapy.
Born in England and the raised in Australia, singing star had been wowing audiences for two decades when illness struck. While cranking out hits including I Honestly Love You, Xanadu and Hopelessly Devoted To You, she lit up movie screens as Sandy in the 1978 musical Grease. Fifteen albums and 50 hit songs rank her among our most successful entertainers.
But in late 1992, as she waited to learn whether treatment had worked, she felt all too mortal. When tests after therapy showed no cancer, she realized she had won a second chance to savor the “sheer joy” of being alive. She also had a chance, she realized, to become a voice of hope for women everywhere.
Since her diagnosis, she has worked tirelessly for breast cancer research. She never stops telling women about the importance of prevention. And she reminds them that they can survive the ordeal she faced by taking the steps necessary for early detection and cure.
Today, Olivia Newton-John is working on two albums and a worldwide concert tour. She also is a spokeswoman for the non-profit Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC).
“It’s kind of funny,” the entertainer says, “but I’m probably better known to many people as a breast-cancer survivor and advocate for children’s health than as a performer. But that’s just fine with me, because it makes me proud to be some one who can help and Inspire other people!”
By Tom Nugent
Protecting Babies from Toxins
Led by Olivia Newton John, the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) has launched a major education campaign to child proof homes.
“Our purpose is to help parents safeguard their baby’s health by sharing what we do know about the dam age caused by exposure to dangerous toxins,” she says, As CHEC’s spokes woman, she narrated a video, Not Under My Roof, that explains how chemicals in the home can cause health and developmental problems.
CHEC seeks to raise awareness of preventable environmental threats to children. It also works to change government and corporate policies to protect kids.
CHEC urges parents to keep a wide range of potential risks - cleaners, pesticides, medicines, even art supplies - out of kids reach. CHEC also suggests replacing harmful products with less dangerous ones, including homemade mixes.
In May, CHEC testified before Congress. “We think this is a message that the whole world should hear,” Ms. Newton-John says.
Photo caption
- CHEC founder Nancy Chuda (left) and Olivia Newton-John (right) with young friends during the shooting of CHEC’s educational video, Not Under My Roof.