Valerie Harper is the third celebrity dancer to be eliminated from “Dancing With The Stars”, but she says she has no regrets.
The 74-year old iconic actress went into the competition while battling brain cancer, and although doctors told her at one point that she only had a few months to live, Harper brushed it aside in the hopes that she could inspire others who are fighting the good fight.
“It has been absolutely wonderful — completely unique, like nothing else in the world that you would ever do,” she said. “It was an opportunity for me to carry a message to folks, not just with cancer, whatever they have — whatever challenge.”
Doctors were astounded to find that Harper was regaining her health after such a grim diagnosis earlier this year, but after fighting lung cancer–which eventually spread to the membranes around her brain–that’s exactly what she did.
“I’d say that we’re getting pretty close to a remission,” neuro-oncologist Jeremy Rudnick said on the “Today” show. “It defies the odds.”
Harper, who fought back knee problems and a lack of any formal dance training during her time on the show, said she leaves with no regrets.
“I never expected to go past the first elimination,” she told CNN. “I really didn’t, and here I am! I got to dance four times with this guy and proved some things to myself.”
Image: screenshot via CNN