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Donna Lewis Opens Up About Her Battle With Breast Cancer; Admits The 'Word Cancer is Just So Frightening'
The Welsh singer, Donna Lewis was diagnosed with cancer in 2021 and she discussed how her music became her therapy, keep reading!
Donna Lewis, the voice behind the 90s anthem "I Love You Always Forever," planned to mark the 25th anniversary of her hit song, life threw her an unexpected curveball. In 2021, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis missed her routine mammogram—an oversight that would soon lead to a startling breast cancer diagnosis. The singer spoke to the PEOPLE about her recovery and how music helped her.
Lewis diagnosed with cancer: Details revealed!
Lewis, now 64, shared with PEOPLE that the diagnosis of stage 2A HER2+ breast cancer came as a complete shock. "I felt fine. No lumps, no symptoms, nothing that hinted at cancer," she explained from her New York home. The missed mammogram during the pandemic delayed her diagnosis, adding a layer of guilt to her distress. When she finally underwent the test, the results confirmed her worst fears. "Hearing the word 'cancer' was terrifying," Lewis recalled.
The diagnosis led to a series of tests—ultrasounds and biopsies that confirmed the singer had two tumors. She also spoke about how she could have been more vigilant with her screenings, the treatment could have been as simple as taking a pill. Instead, Lewis faced a lot of difficult treatments at the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.
Donna shared her treatment - Here is all we know!
Lewis's treatment journey was intense. The singer always had taken fewer medicines in general so for obvious reasons she found the chemotherapy challenging. "It felt like I was poisoning my healthy body to save it," she described the process. She went on for a double mastectomy to remove any future risk, Lewis decided against reconstructive surgery, wanting to close this chapter and move ahead with her life without any further medical interventions.
In the middle of these trials, music became her therapy. Throughout her treatment, Lewis kept writing in her journals, channeling her emotions and experiences into lyrics. These can be seen as the foundation of her latest album, "Rooms with a View." She furthermore said that the process of writing the album was incredibly cathartic. The act of creating music helped her go through the journey, turning pain into a healing creative expression.
Now cancer-free, Lewis looks back on that dark period as a great experience that reignited her passion for music. With her new album, she not only shares her personal story of survival but also offers hope and inspiration to others facing similar battles. "Music became my therapy," Lewis said.
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