Losing one sister to illness is hard enough, but poor Coleen Nolan had been left stunned earlier this year after finding out another of her sisters, 58-year-old Linda, has terminal cancer.
The star, who lost sister Bernie Nolan to the disease in 2013, had to tell viewers of Loose Women back in April about Linda’s diagnosis, and today Coleen was visibly upset as she watched a short clip from her big sister’s video diary.
As Coleen sat there watching, Linda revealed how sometimes she felt a little bit sorry for herself because she can’t do a lot of the things she used to, like get up and dance.
The singer revealed, “You think oh my life is surrounded by cancer. My life belongs to cancer at the moment, although I don’t mean that to sound like I feel like I’m a victim”.
“This illness has no friends, it doesn’t have any favourites. I don’t think we’ve ever really thought we’re cursed really, you know, maybe unlucky.”
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'I'm scared of dying. And I think of Bernie every day. When it comes to the end of my life I want to be in a hospice' – brave Linda Nolan pic.twitter.com/S1nUyDxhBM
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) September 11, 2017
As the camera panned back to an upset Coleen, her co–host, Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ruth Langsford, asked her if she had any idea her sister felt like that, to which Coleen replied, “No,” and was comforted by the rest of the panel that included Denise Van Outen and Stacey Solomon.
Thank you for doing this. I had breast cancer seven years ago and it has returned in my liver. You have made me feel so much better.
— Lisa Procter (@lprocter1) September 11, 2017
What an amazing interview .. wow you are so strong so brave ! .. I admire your attitude. .sending you positive thoughts and prayers 😙😙😙
— Liz Cannings (@zil75) September 11, 2017
Linda had previously been diagnosed with cancer in 2006, the same time her husband Brian was suffering from skin cancer. He later died in 2007.
She also revealed that she wants to be in a hospice towards the end and is turning down chemotherapy. “I would rather have another three months and not have to go through the side effects and everything,” she explained.
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After undergoing a bone biopsy, it was discovered that Linda had secondary breast cancer, but she says that her sister Bernie, who died of the same disease in 2013, is keeping her strong.
“I’ve got Bernie in my ear the whole time saying, ‘You go for it’,” she revealed, “so I’ve picked myself up. I owe it to her to keep fighting.”