Sofía Vergara Got Thyroid Cancer at 28—Here’s the First Thing She Did
Over the last three or more decades, Sofia Vergara has made a significant impact in Hollywood, from her leading role in Modern Family to her current role as a judge on America’s Got Talent. The long-time star has seen much success, but it’s her triumph over cancer that has many talking today.
Two decades after her diagnosis, Vergara has taken to a telethon to bring more awareness to her battle with cancer and inform viewers on what was the very first thing she did when she found out. The mother-of-one also came forward on Doctor Oz with how she went about telling her son about the diagnosis.
Sofia Vergara learned she had cancer when she took her son to an Endocrinologist
Although Vergara kept it secret at first, the America’s Got Talent star’s Thyroid Cancer diagnosis dates as far back as 2000. The Hollywood star kept the whole experience hush-hush until it was over, so she didn’t attract attention for her medical struggle.
“Because I have a family history of type 1 diabetes—my five siblings have it—I know what it’s like to have injections every day and to have craziness happen to your body,” the Modern Family star told Health magazine. “So I took my son to an endocrinologist to be checked out early. While we were there, the doctor wanted to check me, too, and he found a lump in my neck.
She explained to the magazine that she didn’t feel any symptoms, so she was ‘skeptical’ about going through with such a dangerous procedure. “If the doctor makes a mistake, you can lose your speech or the mobility in your face. But I did it.” This has led to her taking a Synthroid pill every morning to control her metabolism and keep her at the proper levels.
Knowledge is power
Taking to a Stand Up To Cancer telethon to bring more awareness to the fight against cancer and her experience with it personally, Sofia Vergara emphasized that knowledge is power.
In fact, the first thing she did when she found out was get educated on the topic.
“When you’re young and hear that word cancer, your mind goes to so many places, but I tried not to panic,” she told thousands of viewers. “I decided to get educated. I read every book and found everything I could about it. I was fortunate to have caught it early and to have the support of my doctors and, most importantly — my family.”
The Modern Family star her speech with a strong, inspirational statement. “We’re better together. And if we’re going to end cancer, it’s going to require a team effort.”
She was careful when telling her son: the word Cancer ‘is very dramatic’
When you hear the word ‘cancer,’ it’s easy to automatically associate it with the worst and think it’s a death sentence. The truth is, that’s not always the case. Many people beat cancer every day. For Vergara, she wanted to let her son know about the diagnosis but was determined not to make it something more than it is unless it took a turn for the worse.
In an interview with Doctor Oz, Sofia Vergara got open and honest about telling her son about the diagnosis.
“When they tell you the word ‘Cancer,’ I think it’s very dramatic, and I think the most important thing is to be educated on it, so you can know what to do. Then that’s how I approach it. I told my son, you know, I have this, but I didn’t make it like a big deal.,” she explained. “I still had to go through the process of fixing it to see if it was gonna get fixed. And I guess if it was going to be something bad, I would tell him.”
She added, “I just told him I’m sick. I have this cancer, but it’s very curable.”
Today, she’s very outspoken about her experience with cancer and has since taken part in many campaigns and awareness projects. This includes hosting 2021’s Stand Up For Cancer telethon and premiering on the Stella McCartney Cares’ Breast Cancer Awareness campaign.
