Farrah Fawcett Death Story On NBC

Farrah Fawcett, glamorous Hollywood actress and 1970s icon, was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006. News reports are that she is now confronting death. Her struggle with this deadly disease will be shown on an NBC documentary, Farrah’s Story, this Friday night at 9:00 pm. The documentary was filmed over two years with Farrrah’s own video camera, with her friend Alana Stewart as the videographer.Farrah Fawcett states the following in her documentary:

“Cancer, is a disease that is mysterious, headstrong and makes its own rules. And mine, to this date, is incurable.”

“I know that everyone will die eventually, but I do not want to die of this disease. I want to stay alive,”

So I say to God, because it is, after all, in his hands. It is seriously time for a miracle.”

I feel very much the interloper in attempting to write about Farrah and her personal nightmare. Well, not really personal … she did not have that luxury, but it’s the nightmare from hell none the less.She and I are the same age. My hair was identical to hers back in the day of big hair, blue eyeshadow and real lips … untouched by collagen. While never a fan of hers, I was a big fan of Lee Majors and Ryan O’Neal, so whenever Farrah made news, I was always nosy enough to read about it. I gained respect for Farrah as an actress after she starred in the TV movie ‘The Burning Bed’, and she outdid herself in ‘Extremities’.

I’ve never been a celebrity follower. I don’t comprehend their lifestyles or thought processes, and frankly, there’s not enough room in my brain to be concerned or even really care about them. It’s only when there is an ‘in your face’ story that I occasionally sit up and pay attention. But why?I understand that when someone signs on to be an entertainer that they automatically give up a lot of privacy that we, the fans, insist we keep for ourselves. I also think that the public, the fans … have crossed the line. We do not need to know every detail of a celebrity’s life …. for example Farrah’s cancer. The HIPAA laws were written for her, too. But did we care? Nope. Not one damn bit.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. The Rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization. The Rule also gives patients rights over their health information, including rights to examine and obtain a copy of their health records, and to request corrections.

Ms. Fawcett pleaded for privacy, yet the National Enquirer allegedly paid Lawanda Jackson ( an administration assistant at UCLA Medical Center ) $4600.00 to dig up personal info on Ms. Fawcett and leak it to them. Ms. Jackson was charged with violating HIPAA laws and admitted guilt, but died of cancer last March before being sentenced. And the National Enquirer made a lot of money off of Farrah Fawcett’s hell.It’s been alleged that Ms.Fawcett has spoken to the U.S. Attorney and the FBI regarding an investigation to see if the parent company of the National Enquirer, violated any laws by paying an employee of a hospital to leak out any patient confidential medical information. I really hope she has.

When Farrah was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, it hit a raw nerve with me. Cancer runs in my family; my Mother died from it at 51, it killed her sisters and my Aunts, at a young age also. I held 2 husbands in my arms as they took their last breath after fighting this very hard, very personal demon known as cancer. I have lost 7 seven friends to cancer and only know 2 survivors personally. My best friend of close to 40 years had pancreatic cancer 8 years ago … against all odds, she is still here. Another friend has survived serious melanoma. My little brother was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer last week. So, as you can tell, I am very familiar with this monster.