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Taylor Swift revealed heartbreaking news today. In a Tumblr post Swift announced that her mother has cancer. "I’m saddened to tell you that my mom has been diagnosed with cancer," she writes. "I’d like to keep the details of her condition and treatment plans private, but she wanted you to know."
This is terrible news, and we're so sorry to hear it. Those of you with close family members with cancer know the dread and worry and sadness this news brings. The rest of us can only imagine. We sincerely hope Andrea Swift's cancer is not far advanced and can be expected to respond well to treatment. But this news is devastating, nonetheless. Our hearts go out to the entire Swift family.
Swift says her mother's cancer was detected after a thorough health screening -- at Swift and her brother's insistence. Getting checked was one of her mother's Christmas gifts to her. And now, Swift's mom wants other parents to get screened, too. She writes:
She wanted you to know because your parents may be too busy juggling everything they’ve got going on to go to the doctor, and maybe you reminding them to go get checked for cancer could possibly lead to an early diagnosis and an easier battle… Or peace of mind in knowing that they’re healthy and there’s nothing to worry about. She wanted you to know why she may not be at as many shows this tour. She’s got an important battle to fight.
In her post, Swift says there were no red flags warning them of her mother's condition. It was only through that screening that they found out. So it's wise -- and generous -- of Andrea Swift to use this announcement to remind all parents to get screened.
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Very generally speaking, the older you get, the higher your risk for cancer. So this is an important reminder for our parents. But we should make sure we're getting our screenings as well, according to our own personal risks based on our age and family history.
Do you know when your parents were last screened for cancer and other illnesses?
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