Like Johnson, other celebrities have lent their names and celebrity statuses to causes that have hit close to home for them. Among the celebrities who have become outspoken health advocates:
Katie Couric: Colon Cancer
In 1997, Katie Couric and her husband Jay Monahan received the devastating news that he had developed colon cancer. His personal battle with the disease ended nine months later, when he passed away at the age of 42. However, Couric’s battle with the disease was just getting started. Since her husband’s death, she has become a tireless advocate for the colon cancer screening, early detection, and prevention to spare others the loss she herself experienced. In 2000, Couric underwent a colonoscopy that was shown on NBC’s Today Show as part of a weeklong series promoting colorectal cancer awareness and screening.
Following her show, colonoscopies increased nearly 20 percent nationally. In addition, Couric co-founded the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance in 2000, and helped launch the Jay Monahan Center For Gastrointestinal Health At New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in 2004. Her efforts have raised millions for cancer research and awareness. Sadly, cancer struck her family again in 2001, when Couric’s older sister, Emily, died of pancreatic cancer.
Celiac Disease: Elisabeth Hasselback
Hasselback is best known for her quirky personality on ABC’s “The View,” but this actress has lived for more than a decade with a mysterious series of symptoms - which, according to Everyday Health, included bloating, sharp stomach pains, and exhaustion. Initially diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and prescribed medications that did little to help, Hasselback had a revelation after filming “Survivor” in 2001.