When my good friend Sarah Ferguson found out she had cancer, she broke the news on her signature irrepressible style.
She tried to be lighthearted about it, but as her friend, I was concerned.
I first met Sarah in 1992 when I was a young TV interviewer known for the big prime time interviews. I had dreaded the interview – what if it went wrong or if she backed out?
But Sarah was sincere, smart and kind. She was there to raise money and raise awareness for charity and I learned over the years how caring and giving Sarah is as a person.
Now, three decades later, she shared the most devastating news a human being can receive.
Sarah Ferguson was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram and has since had surgery
I first met Sarah in 1992 when I was a young TV interviewer known for the big prime time interviews. Now, three decades later, she shared the most devastating news a human being can receive
My mother died of breast cancer and I knew how hard the road could be.
I was at my home in California on May 11th when Sarah first said something was wrong.
We were texting back and forth when I told her I had been to the doctor for a scheduled checkup.
My head was full of questions – how is it possible? I was sure it was due in no small part to the stress Sarah has endured from all the “bullshit” as we often called it – ie supporting her ex-husband Prince Andrew because he was forced to give up his official royal duties. his friendship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Now it’s definitely his turn to support her.
She told me she was glad I came for a checkup. At first I thought it was typical Sarah looking friendly for one of her friends.
It was the middle of the night in Los Angeles — but her follow-up message sent me straight up in my bed with a start.
She told me she had to have minor surgery the following week.
“I don’t like it,” I messaged back in my drowsy state.
Her answer was honest but characteristically cheerful – one of the qualities I’ve always admired in the Duchess.
She went on to explain that a small lump had been found in a breast during a routine mammogram and that it had been spotted early.
At first we had little cause for concern.
It went smoothly – and we hoped it would turn out to be cancer, nothing more.
Meanwhile, Sarah insisted it go ahead.
She traveled to Bogata with her charity Sarah’s Trust and attended a wedding in Venice, and sent me a picture in a silky green dress on one of the famous gondolas. She was stunning, the epitome of health.
Sarah continued to travel for her charity work and was thrilled to become a grandmother again – this time to her new grandson Ernest, Princess Eugenie’s second son who was born on May 30.
Sarah Ferguson and Daphne Barak (far right) in Beverly Hills. From left to right: Antonia Marshall (Fergie’s longtime assistant), David Ellender (Halcyon Studios), Fergie, Erbil Gunasti (Daphne’s husband), Daphne Barak
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew attend the fourth day of the Royal Ascot on June 21, 2019
He put a big smile on her face.
But still I felt that her mood had changed.
Worse would come.
A biopsy of the nodule confirmed that it was indeed cancerous.
My heart stopped. How could this happen to my kind loving friend. It shouldn’t have happened like that.
Still, Sarah was focused – businesslike.
There was only one option: a mastectomy and she was booked for the following Tuesday.
I’m close to Sarah, but even I was surprised by her bravery during such an ordeal. She seemed to care more about keeping me going than making her own diagnosis.
I offered to fly from the US to join her for the surgery, but she told me she was in good hands. Her sister Jane had joined her from Australia and her daughters were also a source of comfort – Eugenie had almost moved next door to her mother in recent weeks and Beatrice is constantly on the phone.
When it came to the day of the mastectomy, I could sense she was nervous.
I anxiously awaited news when she texted last Sunday that she was finally back home.
I sent her a bouquet of purple flowers, her favorite color.
When I spoke to her a day later, she seemed shocked but determined, and she assured me she was confident she would make it.
For all her cheerful optimism, Sarah is clear and realistic. She is the first to admit that she has a long road to recovery ahead of her. But if anyone has the courage to take this on, it’s her.
Because my boyfriend has had to carry so much already.
The past few years have been particularly fraught. She has been a rock to her ex-husband amid the scandal of his dealings with disgraced tycoon Jeffrey Epstein.
In my mind, the stress Sarah has endured for years must have had a detrimental effect on her health.
We discussed the situation in April when I met Sarah in London.
My husband Erbil Gunasti and I were in town for meetings about an upcoming TV special and of course made time to see our friend.
It was my birthday and although Sarah had already sent a thoughtful gift to my home in the US, she came with another. She is generous to a fault.
We share a love of dogs and she gifted me a special bag for walking my three puppies, including space for treats and poop bags.
In turn, I gave her a summer handbag and a golf visor that she gleefully modeled on photos we took that day.
It was a fun afternoon, but also emotional.
Sarah is the glue of the York family.
When Andrew needed a friend, Sarah was there for him, even when several family members and friends were cruel and belittling. She was by his side after the queen’s death when messengers from the royal household suggested they vacate their home, the royal box.
Sarah spent quality time with my partner with Erbil and I in Beverly Hills in March while promoting her novel A Most Intriguing Lady.
It was around this time that reports said she had not been invited to the king’s coronation. But instead of reacting angrily or angrily, Sarah handled it with grace.
She reminded me that she had been invited to both Christmas and Easter gatherings with the Royal Family and that she has developed a warm relationship with Camilla.
I admired the positive way she looked at it. Just as I admire the positive way she handles her cancer diagnosis.
I know she will use her incredible light and energy to make sure other people are controlled.
On her recent podcast, she said, “I want everyone who listens to this podcast to get checked, screened, go do it.
Cancer can be quiet, such a quiet little hidden thing. Get screened, get checked. Do not wait.’
- Daphne’s latest book, Struggling for One America, written with Erbil Gunasti, is published by Skyhorse Publishing and available for purchase here.
Read more from Daphne here.