Shannen Doherty has come out to the public about having breast cancer. It’s not clear whether she would have done so of her own volition, but rather was “outed” when court documents made public by TMZ revealed that Doherty had breast cancer.
“Yes, I have breast cancer, and I am currently undergoing treatment,” Doherty said.
“I am continuing to eat right, exercise and stay very positive about my life,” Doherty continued. “I am thankful to my family, friends and doctors for their support and, of course, my fans who have stood by me.”
So how did Shannen Doherty’s breast cancer end up in court documents? Apparently Doherty is suing her former business manager in a case that directly relates to her cancer.
Court documents indicate that Doherty is accusing her former business manager of failing to pay her insurance premiums, which caused Doherty’s health insurance to lapse. While her insurance was lapsed, Doherty could not receive medical care since the United States does not have Universal Health Care Coverage like every other First World country on the planet.
Heartbroken to hear the news about Shannon Doherty. I've always loved that woman.
— Jimmy Weber (@JimmyTheGhost) August 20, 2015
Once Doherty got her for-profit health insurance back, she had an exam where she “discovered that she had invasive breast cancer metastatic to at least one lymph node,” the lawsuit shows, and “was informed that her cancer had spread during 2014 (when she was uninsured).”
Shannen Doherty “was also informed that, had she been insured and able to visit her doctor, the cancer could potentially have been stopped, thus obviating the need for future treatment (including mastectomy and chemotherapy) that [Doherty] will likely have to suffer through now.”
The moral of the story: If you don’t pay your for-profit insurance premiums in the United States, even if you are a rich celebrity, and even if you hired someone to take care of just such a thing, you can get life-threatening cancer and have to endure all manner of ills that the poorest persons in Cuba do not have to worry about.
Prayers going out to #shannondoherty
— Greg Silva (@gregsilva1) August 21, 2015