and positivity with her presence and her dazzling smile, late actress and singer Olivia Newton-John was also someone who openly spoke of her breast cancer diagnosis and helped millions of women in her position to understand they are not alone in their fight.

Newton-John was first learned of the devastating diagnosis shortly after she released her third hits collection Back to Basics: The Essential Collection 1971–1992. This put her tour on hold and she had partial mastectomy of her right breast in just 24 hours after she learned she had cancer.

She was aware that she was someone many looked up to so she decided to go public and speak of her battle openly. Having someone as loved and as influential like her open up about cancer helped raise awareness and many praised her for her bravery.

“I draw strength from the millions of women who have faced this challenge successfully,” she said at the time.