Sarah Ferguson Says Cancer Diagnosis Felt ‘Like a Death Sentence’

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Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, opened up about the “traumatic” experience of being diagnosed with cancer twice in less than a year.

Writing in The Times of London on Wednesday, April 23, Ferguson, 65, said the diagnosis felt “like a death sentence.”

Speaking to the outlet in support of U.K. charity Teenage Cancer Trust’s new campaign, #AndYoungPeople, Ferguson recalled the experience of being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2023 and skin cancer in 2024.

“I was 63 when I was diagnosed with cancer for the first time and cancer at any age is traumatic,” Ferguson wrote. “But as adults, we have maturity and life experience to help us advocate for ourselves and cope with challenges. We can seek help if we need it, and most importantly, our voices are, sadly, often taken more seriously.”

“One group I feel is consistently neglected by those developing health plans and policies is teenagers and young people,” Sarah, who is a patron for the charity, added.

The campaign launched on Wednesday with an open letter from the charity to U.K. health secretary Wes Streeting. The letter and the overall campaign ask the U.K. government to provide more support for teenagers with cancer, including mental health support, as well as further training of healthcare professionals to increase their awareness of symptoms in young people, with the aim of achieving quicker diagnosis.

“It was hard. I’m generally a positive person, but cancer is like a bomb going off in your life,” Ferguson said. “One diagnosis is enough to deal with, but I had two in the space of a year. I don’t mind admitting that my mind went to some dark places, reflecting on my own mortality.”

“I’ve used meditation and mindfulness to help stay positive and balanced,” she said, adding that her family has been “an immense support.”

Ferguson has been patron of Teenage Cancer Trust since it was founded in 1990. In honor of its latest campaign, Ferguson and her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, will visit a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit on Wednesday, The Times reported.