Hearts collectively broke across the nation when Richard ‘Dickie’ Wilkinson revealed that national treasure Olivia Newton John had been diagnosed with cancer for the second time.
And while Olivia, and her daughter , Chloe Lattanzi, have been candid in the Grease star’s advocacy of medicinal marijuana, in a tell-all interview with 60 Minutes overnight, Olivia has revealed more details on how she is preparing for the fight of her life.
Opening up to Karl Stefanovic, the 68-year-old is cool, calm and collected in her cancer battle, something he puts down to the fact(s) that Olivia is “a peaceful lady and she’s very spiritual and I think that’s all helping her”.
“Of course, it’s scary,” Olivia tells Karl of her second diagnosis.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary. But I felt very sure I would get through it.”
“I’ve had, and am having, an amazing life. So, I have no complaints, I really don’t. Everyone goes through something, you know. We all have something we need to go through in life and this has been my challenge.”
“I want to help other people with cancer. I want to help my hospital raise lots of money so that we can make cancer a thing of the past,” she tells Karl.
Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, just days after her own father had passed away from cancer.
Following eight months of chemotherapy and a partial mastectomy, Olivia was cleared of the disease.
However, more than 20 years on, Olivia began suffering from lower back pain. After initially thinking it was just a consequence of getting older, tests later revealed that mum-of-one Olivia had a metastasised cancer tumour growing at the base of her spine.
In a bid to keep her pain at bay, Olivia’s husband, John Easterling, introduced her to medicinal marijuana. This is something she now credits to having helped her heal to the point she can walk more freely than when she was first diagnosed with the tumour.
“My husband’s a plant medicine man, so he grew cannabis for me and made tinctures for me to take for pain and inflammation,” she says.
“It’s been a maligned plant all these years and it really is a magical, miracle plant.”
Olivia is determined to live her happiest, fullest life once more, but is taking each day one step at a time.
“I want to play tennis again. I want to be able to walk the beach again,” she explains.
“I can walk, but I can’t go long distances. But I’ll get there, because I couldn’t walk at all a month or so ago.”
“As I heal, I’ll be able to walk more.”
We’re wishing Olivia all the very best in her fight against this new diagnosis.
