News/Commentary

CNN anchor reveals on-air cancer diagnosis in powerful message: ‘I’m still madly in love with this life’

January 9, 2024 | | Print Article

CNN news anchor Sara Sidner delivered a heart-breaking message on air that she has stage 3 breast cancer, but her message was a powerful moment about what’s truly important in life that everyone can draw from.

“As we end our broadcast today, I have a personal note that I would like to share with you. I wanna start by doing this and asking you a big favor. Just take a second to recall the names of eight women who you love and know in your life. Just eight. Count them on your fingers. Statistically, one of them will get or have breast cancer. I am that one in eight in my friend group,” Sidner said.

“I have never been sick a day of my life, she continued. “I don’t smoke. I rarely drink. Breast cancer does not run in my family and yet here I am with stage three breast cancer. It is hard to say out loud. I am in my second month of chemo treatments and will do radiation and a double mastectomy.”

In sharing the clip online, Sidner wrote: “Please for the love of God get your mammograms and do your self exams. I want you to thrive my sisters.”

Noting that stage three breast cancer “is not a death sentence anymore for the vast majority of women,” the news anchor shared a statistic that she found shocking.

“If you happen to be a black woman, you are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than your white counterparts — 41%. So to all my sisters, black and white and brown out there, please for the love of God, get your mammograms every single year,” Sidner pleaded. “Do self exams. Try to catch it before I did.”

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Despite the devastation of a cancer diagnosis, Sidner was very optimistic in her message.

“Now, here’s something I could never ever have predicted would happen to me. I have thanked cancer for choosing me,” she said. “I’m learning that no matter what hell 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 I am happier because I don’t stress about foolish little things that used to annoy me. And now every single day that I breathe another breath, I can celebrate that I am still here with you,” Sidner concluded. “I am here with my co anchors, my colleagues, my family and I can love and cry and laugh and hope and that my dear friends is enough.”

Megyn Kelly responded to the video in a tweet that said: “Prayers up for ⁦[Sara Sidner]. Well done getting thru what must have been a very tough message here and God bless as you take on this challenge.”

Fellow CNN colleague Kaitlan Collins added, “I am in awe of your strength. This is a message that will save lives.”

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The well wishes flowed in… here’s a sampling of other responses to the story, as seen on X:

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Tom Tillison
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