Embeth Davidtz is an acclaimed actress who survived breast cancer. She was born on August 11, 1965, in the town of Lafayette, Indiana. Her father was enrolled in a chemical engineering program at Purdue University at the time, but later her parents, John and Jean, moved to Trenton, New Jersey, and finally back to their native South Africa when Embeth was nine years old. As far as her personal life is concerned, Davidtz is married to entertainment attorney Jason Sloane since 2002, and together they have two children.
She is a cancer survivor that shared her mental and physical experiences in a bunch of interviews she did on media. Her story is a source of motivation for all!
About Her Survival
In an interview regarding her guest appearances on Ray Donovan, in which she portrayed a breast cancer survivor, Davidtz disclosed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the year 2013. Actually, after being diagnosed with Stage-3 breast cancer, the actress underwent chemotherapy, immunological treatment, lymph-node-removal surgery, and a double mastectomy. Actress Embeth Davidtz has been cancer-free for many years now. Before this, she has never opened up publicly about her real-life struggle against cancer.
How She Got Diagnosed
The stigma of cancer affects all of us. We either go through it first-hand, or we know someone who has cancer or has gone through it. The talented actress went through an intensely difficult cancer experience but overcame it and emerged stronger and healthier than before.
“I’m still looking over my shoulder a little bit. Everyone tells me its going to be fine, so I just like to take that as the gospel on it,” once Davidtz confessed herself.
She took some time off to deal with the diagnosis and recover. But Davidtz returned to acting via Showtime’s Golden Globe and Emmy-winning drama Ray Donovan. Most significantly, she got the unique opportunity to mold her character and incorporate her exact cancer-related experiences into the role itself. As a result, Embeth Davidtz became a strong candidate for Emmy’s Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category.
Davidtz’s initial cancer diagnosis came out to be as a complete shock to herself. She was 47 years old in the year 2013 when she discovered a lump in her breast. Initially, she thought it was only a cyst. As many would, she did not even think cancer was actaully a possibility.
How She Coped
Habitually, she ate well and exercised, attended regular mammograms and ultrasounds at medical facilities. Altogether, she did everything prescribed to avoid developing cancer, but nothing helped. “No part of me that suspected it could have been cancer. It couldn’t possibly happen to me,” Davidtz confessed.
When her radiologist disclosed the true meaning of the lump, Davidtz sought treatment options and developed a strong resolve to fight out the disease on her own. She also got ready for a fight as she had two small children at the time. She felt determined to live and see them grow into successful adults.
It was fortunate that Davidtz discovered she was “triple positive.” This diagnosis meant she could use the specialized cancer drug Herceptin, which slows down the cancer growth. Without that drug, the end result likely would have been contrastingly different.
Her cancer at first appeared as a rapidly growing cancer difficult to fight. But with the growth in check, Davidtz went for standard chemo treatment. She also opted for a double mastectomy.
Embeth Davidtz Is Hope
Davidtz posits that many more people in Hollywood experienced cancer, particularly women and breast cancer but seldom speak about it publicly. She strongly believes few want to publicize their stigma. They don’t want to put themselves out there as a public face of imperfection and disease.
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It also exists as an silent taboo, and for Davidtz, it was a tough choice to expose herself as an actress and reveal this truth.Yet, her choice proved beneficial as she gave a voice to those who suffered from the disease in hidden. She just didn’t only raise her voice, but she gave a sense that they didn’t have to be ashamed of the diagnosis or of its impact on their body.
Conclusion
As scary as cancer feels itself, the overall experience proved infinitely rewarding mainly due to the incredible outpouring of appreciation from the survivors themselves. The way Embeth Davidtz fought through this illness is impeccable and she continues to be a ray of hope for others.
Being an actress and having a double mastectomy means you are going to be appearing less on media, you might go into depression if you cannot do what you love the most, but Davidtz did not give up. She is a role model and her interviews are motivational for all those survivors and those recovering out there!
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