Gabourey Sidibe‘s husband Brandon Frankel has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer after previously having surgery to have it removed.
The 35-year-old shared a few photos of him and Gabourey together in selfies taken at the hospital on Instagram on Friday (February 20), along with a lengthy caption containing details about his health.
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“Things I never thought I’d have to post: I was diagnosed with Stage I Papillary Thyroid cancer,” he wrote. “I found it very early because I pushed for an ultrasound my doctor didn’t think I needed.”
Brandon said he “refused to ‘wait and see’” or return in “6-9 months.”
“I made the calls. I leveraged connections. I chased cancellations. I made a LOT of noise. It worked. Surgery went well. I’m okay for now,” he continued.
He said that though they caught it early, “pathology showed a more aggressive cell type,” so there will be “more monitoring ahead.”
“Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Early detection didn’t just possibly save my life. Access and advocating for myself did,” Brandon wrote. “I had insurance. I had time. I had people who could help move things faster. Too many don’t.”
From there, his caption went on to lobby for healthcare being a “basic human right,” as he said it should not be “reward the loudest, the most connected, or the most financially secure. It shouldn’t require strategy, privilege, and stamina just to feel safe.”
“My wife carried our family through all of this- holding everything down while I handled appointments, surgery, and recovery. I don’t know how anyone does this without that kind of love and support,” he wrote.
Brandon included several selfies taken from the hospital along with a couple with him and his kids. He and Gabourey have 21-month-old twins, one boy and one girl, named Cooper, and Maya.
Gabourey recently spoke about Kathy Hilton once mistaking her for Lizzo during an interview.
