Lifestyle celebrity Sandra Lee was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She chose to have a double mastectomy. That is a painful decision many women face. And as a woman that commands a public forum, she is sharing her experience to help other women and raise awareness of the disease.
This isn’t the first time a celebrity has publicly addressed personal struggles with breast cancer. But rarely is the public given such an intimate look at the experience. Sandra Lee’s unvarnished updates about the process—from pensive, brave photographs of her recuperating in her hospital room to serious images of her at home—put a human face on a difficult process.
New York Post’s “Page Six” column is one of many media outlets that has been following her progress, but she has reached her largest audience by publishing the photographs on her Facebook page. A benefit of social media is that it allows individuals to tell their personal stories to the public directly, without any intermediary. So Ms. Lee can keep ownership of her story, telling it day by day and ensuring it is told accurately. Even maintaining that level of control, sharing so personal a story in such an honest fashion is incredibly brave. We salute her choice.