Television chef Sandra Lee revealed on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo a double mastectomy to ensure the growth is removed entirely.
“Life can turn on a dime,” Lee said in an interview with PEOPLE, shortly after announcing the diagnosis on Tuesday’s Good Morning America. She said she had begun documenting her treatment on video to raise awareness about early detection.
Her longtime partner, New York governor Andrew Cuomo, wrote in a statement that he was “devastated” by the diagnosis, but praised Lee for her “determination, resolve and grace.”
“While she has kept her illness private until now,” Cuomo wrote, “Sandy has bravely decided to speak openly about her illness in order to remind women of the potentially lifesaving power of early detection. I fully support her decision.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com