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Final Episode – Farrah Fawcett’s Public Battle with Cancer
By Neil Peterson | July 31, 2009
“Cancer is a disease that makes its own rules. Cancer is my own
private war.”
- Farrah Fawcett
It is an extraordinarily brave portrayal of one person’s private battle with cancer. From seemingly constant rounds of treatments, the highs and lows of small victories and frightening test results, to the agony of family and friends who are powerless to stop the advancing disease, Farrah’s Story is a brutal, sobering view into the life of one of entertainment’s most beloved icons, Farrah Fawcett. Originally airing on May 15, 2009 on NBC, little more than a month before her death, it was watched by nearly 9 million people. It is not the story of a star, it is the story of a patient – compelling for its honesty, and devastating in its breadth.
A small-town Texas girl, Farrah Fawcett rocketed to stardom in 1976 with her portrayal of private investigator Jill Munroe on the hit TV show, Charlie’s Angels. The show was a groundbreaking smash – portraying women in action roles in a genre long dominated by male actors, and birthing a new trend in television and movies that continues to this day. The show was not only a success for Fawcett on a professional level, but was the start of lifelong friendships with her fellow ‘Angels’, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson. Despite leaving the show after the first season, Fawcett’s star was cast. She became a media sensation, receiving critical acclaim and audience adulation for her challenging roles both on-screen and on the stage.
Associated Press – Profile of Farrah Fawcett
This charmed life would soon take a terrifying turn, as Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. Undergoing her first round of chemotherapy and surgery in Los Angeles, doctors were initially optimistic, believing they had removed all of the cancerous cells. However, during a meeting with her oncologist in May 2007, which Fawcett documented on a handheld camera, test results revealed that her cancer had returned. This video would become the basis for Farrah’s Story, captured by friend Alana Stewart, and documenting the anguish of her struggle and the resilience of her spirit in the last years of her life.
Unhappy with the approach suggested by her LA-based doctors, Fawcett traveled to Germany to undergo further rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and laser ablation. At her friend’s request, Stewart captured everything as they traveled back and forth to Germany for treatment, amid unfamiliar scenery and heavily-accented English, always with the paparazzi close at hand. Even her German doctors seem star-struck, distracting her with questions about her favorite films as she underwent one painful surgery after another. Despite their best efforts, Fawcett’s cancer had metastasized to her liver, and not even progressive experimental treatments could slow down the course of the disease.
awcett succumbed to cancer on June 25, surrounded by her friends and partner Ryan O’Neal. Although publicly it often seemed that her striking beauty overshadowed her genuine talent, this final work, Farrah’s Story, may prove to be the most powerful addition to her cinematic legacy. By sharing her private story with a worldwide audience, she has raised awareness of the need for further medical research of anal cancer, as well as acting as a beacon of hope for the millions of others facing a similar battle.
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Topics: General, Inspiration, Perseverance | No Comments »