NBC News
Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson revealed on Monday that she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and had refused chemotherapy.
In an interview with the Australian magazine Women’s WeeklyThe 60-year-old model explained why she opted for a more “holistic” approach instead of undergoing standard medical treatment.
“It was a shock, unexpected, confusing and disheartening in many ways,” the model and entrepreneur said in the interview published Monday. “It really gave me the opportunity to dig deep within myself to find a solution that would work for me,” she said.
Macpherson, who will soon publish a book entitled she, She explained: “Saying no to standard medical solutions was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. But saying no to my own inner sense would have been even harder.” “Sometimes an authentic, heartfelt choice doesn’t make sense to others,” she said, “but it doesn’t have to.”
“People thought I was crazy, but I knew I had to make a decision that really resonated with me,” she said. “For me, that meant addressing the emotional and physical factors associated with breast cancer. It was time for some deep soul-searching. And that took courage.”
Macpherson’s two sons, Flynn, 19, and Cy, 14, disagreed with their mother’s decision.
“Cy just thought chemo kills you. So he never wanted me to do it because he thought it was the kiss of death,” she said. “Flynn, being more conventional, was not comfortable with my choice at all. But he’s my son and he would support me in everything and love me in all my decisions, even if he didn’t agree with them. My kids were very supportive in their own way, but I knew they were very scared.”
Her medical team includes a naturopathic specialist, a holistic dentist, an osteopath, a chiropractor and therapists, according to Australian Women’s Weekly.
Now, he explains, “in traditional terms, they would say I’m in clinical remission.” “But I would say I’m in complete wellness, and I am,” he added, without explaining whether the diagnosis was made by doctors.
“Really, from every standpoint, every blood test, every scan, every imaging test… but also emotionally, spiritually and mentally, not just physically. It’s not just what your blood tests say, it’s how and why you’re living your life on every level,” she said.
