The Telenovela “Good Girl” that Beat Cancer at Its Game

Adamari López
Adamari López

In Adamari López's real-life breast cancer story, the heroine beats "the villain", and lives to tell others how to defeat this ruthless disease.

At 33 years old, Puerto Rican actress Adamari López had everything she had dreamed of: gorgeous telenovela looks, a brilliant career and a man who loved her. But, in March 2005, life as she knew it came crashing down.

While taking a morning shower, López noticed a small lump in her right breast. Anxiety gripped her heart, but she didn't hesitate and called her doctor right away. Further checkups, a mammography and a final biopsy confirmed her fears: it was breast cancer.

With the love and support of family and friends, this courageous Boricua focused on attacking the disease. Six months of agonizing chemotherapy and a partial mastectomy followed. One year later the battle results were in, and López was cancer-free.

Cancer surpasses heart disease as top killer of Hispanics

This year the actress celebrates her fifth year as the Hispanic spokesperson for the Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives program. For each pink lid collected and mailed, General Mills will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $2,500,000. Pink lids can be found not only in Yoplait yogurt, but in a number of other General Mills products. During her five years as a spokeswoman for the program, López has been able to raise over 24 million dollars to help fund breast cancer research and awareness.

Yet, López wants her message to go beyond raising funds; she wants Latin women to be aware of their own bodies and take charge of their own health. "I want to enter into the hearts and minds of Latinas with my message of prevention. [Women] need to do regular breast self-exams; they need to check themselves regularly, and see their doctor at least once a year," says the actress, who feels that just as women take time to make regular beauty appointments, they need to do the same with doctor visits and mammograms, making health their top priority.

Today, López is back at work, strong as ever. She is now part of the hosting team of Telemundo's Un nuevo día, a show she loves been part of. She credits her fitness to regular Zumba classes, drinking lots of water and eating right, although she admits she can't stay away from good Puerto Rican food when she visits the island. "I love my rice and beans with chicken and tostones (fried green plantains)," says the TV star who now enjoys life to the fullest thanks to her courage and continuous fight to bring breast cancer awareness to Latinas and women everywhere.

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