Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, says the “extraordinary courage” of First World War amputees has been a massive inspiration during her ongoing recovery from a single mastectomy.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, says the ‘extraordinary courage’ of First World War amputees has been a massive inspiration during her ongoing recovery from a single mastectomy
The 63-year-old was revealed in June to have been diagnosed with breast cancer, and on an episode of her podcast announced she was having the affected breast removed and vowed to become “super fit” afterwards.
She said on the most recent episode of her ‘Tea Talks’ podcast she got emotional watching a documentary after her eight-hour operation, which showed maimed war veterans returning home from the conflict at the start of the 20th Century.
Sarah added: “All the brave men and all the extraordinary, extraordinary courage and resilience.
“I just think to myself, ‘They came back amputees. They came back and they got over it and they fought on.’”
Sarah – who has children Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 33, with her 63-year-old former husband Andrew, Duke of York – was speaking alongside her podcast co-host and close friend Sarah Thomson, and added even though the “show must go on” after her operation people need to be mindful about being “gentle” with themselves.
She said: “It’s really important that – my father was right – the show must go on.
“But be mindful of each word that you might say or be gentle with yourself and people, and be very grateful.”
Sarah also said about embracing her “new” self on the ‘Acceptance, Gratitude and Fearlessness’ episode of her podcast – recorded the week after she had her procedure at London’s King Edward VII Hospital: “I have to say that it’s really just extraordinary to come to terms with a new you. And I think it’s extraordinary – I mean you just cannot be complacent with yourself, or with life, or just how lucky you are.
Thanking the “extraordinary” medics who took care of her, Sarah cautioned people in similar conditions away from trying and being “a superhero”.
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