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Our 10th Anniversary Special Feature
Fran Drescher
America’s Favorite Nanny Saves Lives
HE YEAR WAS 1993, AND A not the usual candidate for Uterine
Tquirky character named Fran Fine cancer; She wasn't over 40, wasn't
showed up on our TV screens, instant- overweight, and did not have a family
ly catching our hearts. Her Flushing, history of cancer. So, when she was
New York accent, short tight sequin finally told, she was lucky enough to
skirts, nasal voice, and unsophisticated find out that the cancer had not pro-
ways, suddenly made more obvious gressed past stage 1. Her treatment
when she found herself in the home of was successful, and she has been in
a high class, high net worth, Broadway remission since.
Producer, Mr. Maxwell Sheffield. After her misdiagnosis, she wanted
For seven seasons we cheered her to be certain that no other woman
on in the hopes that this modern Cin- ever went through this same situation
derella story would come to fruition again. The time that it took for the
After her misdiagnosis, and the handsome prince, or in this misdiagnosis could have caused some-
she wanted to be certain case Broadway producer, would end body their life. This was what made
up falling in love with and marrying
Fran write her book entitled "Cancer
that no other woman the Poor little girl from Queens. With Schmancer” and follow it up with a
ever went through this several near misses, viewers do get movement to help assure that women
received testing for early detection of
what they want, and Mr. Sheffield and
same situation again. Ms. Fine get married and even have disease.
Although finding out that Fran
The time that it took for twins. had uterine cancer was a shocking mo-
Although this is what Fran Dre-
the misdiagnosis could scher is most remembered for, it was ment, She does explain that it has had
have caused somebody not her first dalliance with fame. Fran’s a profound effect on her life. "It has
given me a purpose that I might not
first big break came when she was
their life. This was what offered, the role of Connie in Saturday have otherwise had and it has deep-
made Fran write her Night Fever, her first major speaking ened me as a person who is empathet-
ic to other people’s pain and struggles.
role. Saturday Night Fever went on to
book entitled "Cancer be a major icon, and so did Fran. And has taught me invaluable life
Fran starred in several movies,
Schmancer” and follow but when she came up with the con- lessons.”
The main focus of Fran’s Can-
it up with a movement cept of "The Nanny," she knew it was cer Schmancer campaign is to make
to help assure that the role that she was meant to play. women aware of how important early
women received testing This was not to be her most challeng- detection is to surviving a diagnosis of
cancer. She has helped provide mobile
ing role, that would be in 2000 when
for early detection of she finally received the diagnosis that mammography vans in underserved
disease. she was suffering from uterine cancer. areas. As Fran explains, “All odds are
The road to her final diagnosis would
better for the patient when the cancer
not be an easy one, in fact, it took is detected early. ‘Catch it on arrival
over two years before Fran would find 95% survival.’ Once you learn what
out what the many symptoms she was the early warning whispers are of the
experiencing actually meant. She was cancers that might affect you there is a
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