Reality star Daisy Lewellyn (pictured) has died of a rare form of cancer at age 36
Daisy Lewellyn, who rose to fame on the reality show Blood, Sweat and Heels, has died of a rare form of cancer at age 36.
Known as the 'effortless queen of chic', Lewellyn won hearts with her bubbly and vivacious personality on the Bravo reality show.
She also served as the accessories editor of Essence magazine from 2006 to 2007. Lewellyn also had editorships at In-Style and Glamour, according to Essence.
In the trailer for season two of Blood, Sweat and Heels, released last year, Lewellyn revealed she was battling stage 3 bile duct cancer.
Lewellyn was given a shocking diagnosis at age 34 of a rare form of the disease, which starts in the bile ducts - thin tubes that connect the liver to the small intestines.
'It was kind of shocking. But also when I was diagnosed, I remember some of my immediate thoughts being like, "Well you know what? I'm not afraid to die",' she said in an interview with Madam Noire.
'It wasn't like I wanted to die and it wasn't like I didn't want to live because I absolutely love my life and I've always loved my life, but they told me it was stage three cancer.
'I was like, "Well, if it's my time to go, I'm okay with it".
'But then I had to start thinking about other people in my life and it’s not that easy just to decide just like that.
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Lewellyn was the star of the reality show Blood, Sweat and Heels and deemed herself the 'effortless queen of chic'
Heartbroken: Andy Cohen, host of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, tweeted about the loss of Lewellyn on Friday
'I realized that it was hard for my family and my friends. I’m not afraid to go to heaven, but I would like to stay on earth if I can.
'If it’s my time to go, then I can say that I had a great life,' she said.
In the interview with Madam Noire, Lewellyn discussed her diagnosis and her family's reaction.
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Share 398 sharesShe said she was very calm but her mother had a harder time handling the diagnosis.
In a trailer for season two of Blood, Sweat and Heels, Lewellyn's family can be seen praying with her while she receives treatment for the disease.
She said her first thought upon being diagnosed was: 'How do we fix this?'
'I’m a solution-based kind of girl. I’ve never really been the person to have something going on in my life that I wasn’t happy with and that thing not be fixed,' she said.
Essence's editor-in-chief Vanessa De Luca released a statement following the reality star, editor and author's death.
Lewellyn was diagnosed with the rare form of bile duct cancer at age 34 and revealed she had the disease last year while filming the trailer for season two of Blood, Sweat and Heels
Daisy (in yellow) revealed her diagnoisis in the second season of Blood, Sweat and Heels, which chronically her life and her cast mates' (pictured) lives as New York City fashionistas
'You could not help but be swept away by her vivacious personality. She worked for a time at Essence as our Accessories Editor, and her sense of style and understanding of the Essence woman definitely made its mark.
'I will never forget her wide smile and graciousness. I know her bright spirit will live on through all the lives she has touched,' De Luca said.
Bravo's Andy Cohen, who had Lewellyn on his show Watch What Happens Live as a guest, tweeted about the loss of the star.
'I am just heartbroken about Daisy Lewellyn. What a wonderful spirit, force of life, & a great person. She lit up every room. Sad day,' he said.
Lewellyn was single with no children when she died.
A RARE FORM OF CANCER THAT INVADES THE BILE DUCTS
The bile ducts are a series of thin tubes that connect the liver with the small intestine.
Their function is to move the fluid bile, from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine, where it helps digest fat from the food we eat.
Cancer of the bile duct is classified into three types, based on their location.
It is an extremely rare form of the disease, affecting around 2,000 to 3,000 people across the US every year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Cancer of the bile duct is classified into three types, affect the thin tubes that connect the liver to the small intestines or duodenum. The bile ducts carry bile from the liver to the small intestines where it helps to break down fat from the food we eat
Bile duct cancer can occur in younger people but as with most forms of cancer, it is more typical in older people.
The disease tends to be diagnosed in people aged 70 and over.
More often than not, bile duct cancer does not cause signs and symptoms until it is in the later stages of disease.
When symptoms do occur they include:
One of the most common symptoms of bile duct cancer is jaundice, caused when the body is unable to remove bile from the liver, causing a back up into the bloodstream
- Jaundice - a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Normally, bile is made by the liver and released into the intestine. Jaundice occurs when the body is unable to remove bile from the liver, causing a back up into the bloodstream. While jaundice is the most common symptom of bile duct cancer, most cases are not caused by the disease.
- Itching - excess bilirubin (a chemical in bile) in the skin can cause itching, and most people diagnosed with this form of cancer experience itching
- Light-colored stools - Bilirubin contributes to the brown color of a person's bowel movements. So if it cannot reach the intestines a person's stool color can be lighter
- Dark urine - high bilirubin levels can also come out in a person's urine causing it to be a darker color
- Abdominal pain - the more advanced the disease gets, the more likely it is for a sufferer to notice pain below their ribs on the right hand side
As with all forms of cancer, factors such as smoking, a person's age and family history can increase the risk of being diagnosed with bile duct cancer.
Other risk factors that are more specific to this form of the disease include bile duct stones, cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C infection and abnormalities where the bile duct, inflammatory bowel disease and diabetes.
The stage at which a cancer is diagnosed is an indication of how far the disease has spread from its origin.
Stage 1 indicates a disease that is localised, while stage 3 suggests it has spread to the lymph nodes. Stage 4 is the most severe level, indicating when the disease has spread to more distant organs in the body.
In general terms, most stage 0, 1 and 2 bile duct cancers are operable and can be removed.
Some stage 3 tumors are resectable, but most are deemed inoperable.
Depending on the type of bile duct cancer, a person's five-year survival rate after being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer varies from between six to 24 per cent.
Source: American Cancer Society
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