Kathy Bates Marked Her 73rd Birthday After Surviving Cancer Twice — Inside Her Battle For Life

Jul 07, 2021

Kathy Bates is a critically acclaimed actress and is also known for her great work as a director. The star has taken the world by storm with her incredibly long career spanning close to 60 years. Her talents have been seen in a variety of projects and multiple genres in the acting world, including comedies, romance movies, thrillers, and dramas.

Bates was born June 28, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee. Proving her determination from the start, Bates graduated early from White Station High School in 1965. From the Broadway stage to the silver screen, Bates has made her presence known in the entertainment industry. She has not only showcased her incredible talents as an actress and director but has also used her platform for the betterment of others. 

By engaging with multiple organizations and talking about her personal struggles, Bates has helped raise awareness for a number of causes, with most of them dealing with health issues. Bates has always been honest about what it's like being a larger woman in Hollywood and has voiced her opinions on the matter multiple times. Despite making a few headlines along the way, she hasn't let anyone's view on her own appearance prevent her from continuing on with her long-lasting career and is still working in the entertainment industry to this day. 

Along with battling cancer and suffering other major health issues, Bates has recently celebrated her 73rd birthday. After surviving cancer twice, Bates celebrated the milestone on Monday, June 28, 2021. In honor of her birthday, we're taking a look back at her courageous cancer battle. 

Despite being very vocal about her personal struggles, especially with her health, not much about Bates' personal life has been in the public. She was married to actor Tony Campisi from 1991, and the two stayed together for six years before divorcing in 1997.

Bates, along with 48 other celebrities, appeared in a video produced by Ryan Murphy for the Human Rights Campaign. The video was made to honor the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016. The Human Rights Campaign has declared itself as the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the United States and released the tribute video to honor those in the community.

Bates has dealt with some pretty serious health issues over the years. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2003 and later diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. It wasn't until many years later that she was finally comfortable enough to open up to the public about her struggles and following surgeries and treatments. 

"I continued to work right after the operation, doing 'Little Black Book' with Brittany Murphy," Bates told People in August 2018. "My agent at the time was very old-school and didn't want me to be the poster child for ovarian cancer. I didn't want anyone to know, but it really took a lot out of me." People reported that the actress had a double mastectomy because of her family's history with cancer following her breast cancer diagnosis. Bates beat cancer twice and is currently cancer-free, but her health struggles haven't stopped. 

The actress was diagnosed with lymphedema, a disease commonly caused by the removal of lymph nodes during cancer treatment, shortly after winning her second battle with cancer. "It's a souvenir you definitely don't want," Bates said. "I really felt that life was over for me. I probably wouldn't work again, and I was angry for a long time."

Bates has since been working as an advocate for the Lymphatic Education and Research Network to raise awareness about the disease. In March 2021, the organization posted a photo of Bates to Instagram with a quote from the actress: "We are united in dreaming of a cure." Although there is no cure yet, Bates has found a way to deal with the pain through exercise, a healthy diet, and by wearing compression sleeves on her arms, according to People. She has also encouraged others to stop "worrying about what you look like" and "instead, keep everything working and in good order."

However, Bates did come to the conclusion that dedicating herself to weight loss has helped her post-cancer. Bates has persisted with her healthy diet and routine exercise to not only manage her lymphedema diagnosis but her health in general. The actress lost an astonishing 60 pounds and has been given a rejuvenated view on life. "This is the best health I've been in in years and I'm so grateful," Bates said during an interview with Extra T.V. in March 2019. "It's a miracle." She went on to explain how diabetes runs in her family, and it's something she wanted to do to prevent herself from living with it.

What do you think about Bates' inspiring survival story? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones!