CNN’s anchor Sara Sidner on Monday said she is battling stage three breast cancer, and took time toward the end of her program to encourage women to “for the love of God get your mammograms every single year.”
Sidner concluded Monday’s episode of CNN News Central with a personal note, “Just take a second to recall the names of eight women who you love and know in your life.”
“Statistically, one of them will get or have breast cancer,” Sidner continued. “I am that one in eight in my friend group.”
“I have never been sick a day of my life. I don’t smoke, I rarely drink. Breast cancer does not run in my family,” the CNN anchor said. “Yet here I am with stage three breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud.”
Please for the love of God get your mammograms and do your self exams. I want you to thrive my sisters. 🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷 pic.twitter.com/jIuW8WwSb2
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) January 8, 2024
Sidner noted that she is currently in her second month of chemo treatments and she will also undergo radiation and a double mastectomy surgery.
“Stage three is not a death sentence anymore for the vast majority of women,” added Sidner.
The CNN anchor then became reflective of the racial disparities within our healthcare system.
“If you happen to be a Black woman you are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than your white counterparts,” Sidner said.
“So to all my sisters, Black and white and brown out there, please, for the love of God get your mammograms every single year,” the anchor encouraged. “Do your self-exams. Try to catch it before I did.”
Sidner “thanked cancer” for choosing her, saying “I’m learning no matter how we go through in life that I am still madly in love with this life and just being alive feels really different for me now.”
Her colleagues expressed their endless support for her as she undergoes treatment.
I am in awe of your strength, @sarasidnerCNN. This is a message that will save lives. https://t.co/sEzThVt24d
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 8, 2024
Sending my love and prayers to my colleague and overall wonderful soul and human being Sara Sidner @sarasidnerCNN and a reminder to all women to get your breast cancer screenings! We love you Sara!
— Wynn Westmoreland CNN (@WynnWs) January 8, 2024
