Joan Lunden is not shying away from the public as she battles cancer. In fact, she’s facing it head on with a bald and beautiful People magazine cover.
The 64-year-old former “Good Morning America” host, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in June, took off her wig for the cover shoot.
“I could decide to do nothing, but that’s certainly not my personality,” she said of about her decision to speak out about her cancer battle. “I was handed an opportunity to learn everything that I can about this and try to help others.”
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Joan said Robin Roberts, who also battled cancer, warned her about the wait of losing her hair.
“Robin told me waiting for your hair to fall out is excruciating,” Joan said. “So I didn’t want to wait.”
Following her first week of chemotherapy, a brave Joan shaved off her hair.
“You know it’s going to happen one of these days and you are wondering how and when, so I just owned it,” she explained.
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The decision to appear on the People cover without her wig was not an easy one, but an important choice.
“I had to make this big decision about whether or not to do the cover with no hair,” she said. “It certainly isn’t the comfortable way to go, but I decided I was going to try and help others and show women that this isn’t the end of the world. You can go on – and that was hugely empowering.”
(Joan Lunden’s People magazine cover, October 6, 2014 – People)
The mother of seven admitted to continuing to grapple with her new look.
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“It’s not an easy thing to go through, and it almost sounds superficial, but when you lose your hair, it just affects the way that you look at yourself in the mirror,” she said. “You feel less feminine, pretty or desirable, and it’s not an easy thing to go through.”
Adding, “As a mom, you don’t want your kids to be concerned.”
Lunden’s tumors have shrunk nearly 95 percent after 12 weeks of chemotherapy.
— Jesse Spero
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