PRAYERS FOR SHANNEN
ACTRESS Shannen Doherty has opened up about a heartbreaking diagnosis with her newest social media video.
Shannen, 52, took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal that after her stage IV breast cancer diagnosis in 2020, the cancer has now spread to her brain.
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The Tennessee native is most famously known for her roles in Mallrats, Charmed, Beverly Hills 90210, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and Little House on the Prairie.
The close-up video showed the actress going through the process of getting fitted for the mask she will wear while getting radiation on her brain.
The video was taken on January 12, 2023, after finding out on January 5 that the cancer cells had spread.
"Yesterdays video was showing the process of getting fitted for the mask which you wear during radiation to your brain," the actress wrote.
"January 12, the first round of radiation took place. My fear is obvious. I am extremely claustrophobic and there was a lot going on in my life.
"I am fortunate as I have great doctors like Dr Amin Mirahdi and the amazing techs at cedar sinai. But that fear…. The turmoil….. the timing of it all…. This is what cancer can look like," she continued.
The gut-wrenching video showed Shannen crying while lying down with a mask covering the top of her head and her mouth as she bit on a popsicle stick.
SUPPORTIVE FANS
In the comments section of the video, fans have been showing their utmost support for the actress after sharing her latest diagnosis.
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One wrote: "You are a warrior, beautiful Shannen, and an inspiration to us all."
"I hope you can feel the love and prayers from all of us," a second wrote. "As a cancer survivor myself it’s a never ending journey. Stay strong and positive and surround yourself with the best people possible."
A third commented: "This is a lot. This is a lot to take on, still again. And I am wishing for all the wise peace you have learned to find you in the terror moments. To know we are holding you."
"You are so incredibly brave…and strong. Hope you can feel the love from so many of us!" said a fourth.
A fifth said: "I’m so sorry you’re going through this again. You’re a true warrior and it’s incredibly strong you share this with us."
Many fans also applauded Shannen for her bravery and vulnerability in sharing her story on social media.
SHANNEN'S CANCER JOURNEY
Shannen was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and had previously gone into remission after a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatments.
In February 2020, court documents pertaining to her lawsuit revealed that the cancer was back.
"Plaintiff Shannen Doherty is dying of stage 4 terminal cancer," the court documents stated. "Instead of living out her remaining years peacefully in her home, Ms. Doherty remains displaced and battling with her insurance company."
On October 7, 2021, Shannen then opened up about her battle with the stage 4 breast disease in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Shannen posted two photos on Instagram one was a selfie with her head bald from chemotherapy treatment and a bloody tissue in her nose while the other was of her sleeping.
"For breast cancer awareness month, I’d like to share more of my own personal journey from my first diagnosis to my second. Is it all pretty? NO but it’s truthful and my hope in sharing is that we all become more educated, more familiar with what cancer looks like," Shannen wrote in the caption.
She later went on to urge fans to get screened regularly writing, "I hope I encourage people to get mammograms, to get regular checkups, to cut thru the fear and face whatever might be in front of you."
The month before, Shannen spoke to People magazine and said she felt compelled to speak out about what it was like living with cancer.
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"I feel like I have a responsibility in my more public life, which I separate from my acting life … to talk about cancer and perhaps educate people more and let people know that people with stage 4 are very much alive and very active," she told the media outlet.
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the United States and affects more than 200,000 people a year.
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