Breast Cancer Awareness Month Honors Olivia Newton-John’s Courageous Fight As Family Shared Her Final Words

Oct 12, 2026 by apost team

On Aug. 8, 2022, the world lost one of its brightest stars when Olivia Newton-John died at age 73 following a 30-year journey with breast cancer. The British-Australian singer, actress and activist became a household name through her role in the 1978 musical “Grease,” but her legacy extended far beyond Hollywood. After receiving her diagnosis, she dedicated much of her life to raising awareness, funding research and helping other people navigate the disease.

As October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Newton-John’s story remains a powerful reminder of the importance of breast health, continued research and compassionate care for patients and their families.

Newton-John was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in England before moving with her family to Australia at age 6. Her career took off when she starred opposite John Travolta as Sandy Olsson in “Grease,” earning international acclaim for her acting and singing. She later appeared in films including “Xanadu” and released numerous successful albums.

Behind the scenes, however, Newton-John faced a challenge that would shape the rest of her life. In 1992, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent treatment, including a mastectomy and chemotherapy, before initially recovering from the disease.

Rather than keep her experience private, Newton-John chose to speak openly about her diagnosis. She encouraged women to take their breast health seriously and emphasized the importance of regular examinations and early detection.

“I draw strength from the millions of women who have faced this challenge successfully,” Newton-John said in a statement, per PEOPLE. “This has been detected early because I’ve had regular examinations, so I encourage other women to do the same.”

Her experience also inspired her 1994 album “Gaia,” one of her most personal musical projects. Through her music and public appearances, Newton-John began transforming a deeply personal struggle into a platform for helping others.

Unfortunately, her cancer returned in 2013. In 2017, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, which had spread to her sacrum, a bone at the base of the spine. Metastatic breast cancer occurs when the disease spreads beyond the breast to other parts of the body.

The diagnosis marked another difficult chapter in her journey, but Newton-John continued to speak with hope about her treatment and the people supporting her.

“I am really grateful for and touched by the worldwide outpouring of love and concern,” she said in a statement. “I’m totally confident that my new journey will have a positive success story to inspire others!”

Despite the progression of her illness, Newton-John remained committed to improving the lives of cancer patients. She believed that people facing the disease deserved not only effective medical treatment but also emotional support and opportunities to improve their quality of life.

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One of her most significant achievements was helping establish the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Working alongside Austin Health, she helped raise funds for the facility, which opened in 2012 and provides cancer treatment, education, research and wellness services.

In 2008, Newton-John led a team of cancer survivors, celebrities and Olympians on a trek along the Great Wall of China to raise money for cancer research and the center. The event raised more than $2 million, and her wider fundraising efforts helped secure nearly $200 million for the project, according to her official biography.

The Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute subsequently opened in 2014, bringing researchers and clinicians together to develop new approaches to cancer treatment.

Newton-John also established the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, which supports research into plant medicine and its potential applications in cancer care. Her interest in plant-based treatments was deeply personal, although research into these approaches remains ongoing and should not be confused with proof that they cure cancer.

Her advocacy earned widespread recognition. In 2019, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia for her contributions to community health, particularly her support for people living with cancer and medical research. That year, she was also named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Even as she faced her own health challenges, Newton-John continued to promote positivity.

In 2019, she told Us Weekly:  

“If you think positive thoughts, you’ll create a positive world around yourself and attract positive people to you. I’m very lucky in all those areas; I have the best husband in the world and the best daughter. I’m lucky.”

However, her final days were marked by significant physical struggles. Her niece, actress and singer Totti Goldsmith, spoke to 9Now about the family’s preparations as Newton-John’s condition worsened.

“It’s not a shock, we’ve known how sick she’s been, especially the last five days,” Goldsmith said. “John (Easterling) her husband, has kept us in the loop and I’ve been talking to the beautiful Chloe a lot.”

Goldsmith explained that Newton-John’s husband, Easterling, arranged a video call so the two women could speak. She also recalled that her aunt experienced complications beyond cancer, including secondary infections while in the hospital.

“It wasn’t just the cancer that got her, it was other complications, being in a hospital and with a very susceptible immune system. She got secondary infections. She really went down in the past five, six days,” Goldsmith said.

Newton-John had previously spoken about using cannabinoids as part of her approach to managing cancer-related symptoms. However, Goldsmith said they eventually became insufficient to ease her aunt’s pain.

“It’s really helped her, but later on it wasn’t enough. She’s really struggled with a lot of pain,” she recalled.

Despite the difficulties, Goldsmith remembered Newton-John maintaining her characteristic humor and perspective. During a visit while her aunt was receiving treatment, she asked whether she was afraid of dying.

“She said, ‘Plonker,’ which was my nickname, she said, ‘I’m not, I’m not afraid, I’ve done more in my life than I could have ever imagined.’ She honestly never imagined her life would be how it was,” Goldsmith said.

Newton-John’s commitment to helping others remained central to her legacy. “Olivia loved helping people,” a source told the New York Post. “She spent the last two decades of her life giving back.”

When Easterling announced her death on Newton-John’s Instagram account on Aug. 8, 2022, he highlighted her long-standing work supporting people affected by breast cancer.

“Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer,” he wrote. He added that her work would continue through the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund.

Her daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, has also continued to honor her mother’s memory. The pair collaborated on the song “Window in the Wall” in 2021, offering fans a glimpse of their close relationship.

Following Newton-John’s death, Chloe shared behind-the-scenes footage of them recording the duet on Instagram.

“You are my lighthouse mama. My safe place. My heart space,” Chloe wrote. “It has been my honor and continues to be my honor to be your baby and best friend. You are an angel on earth and everyone touched by you has been blessed. I love you forever my life giver, my teacher, my mama.”

In February 2023, Chloe spoke with TODAY about her mother’s final days and the words she would always remember.

“The last words she could say to me was, ‘My sunshine,” Chloe revealed. “And right before she lost her ability to speak, she was making jokes.”

Chloe also explained that, although millions of people knew her mother as an international star, she had always been simply her mom.

“I love my mom more than anything. She’s my mama, you know? She’s not Olivia Newton-John to me, but I’m so glad that she was Olivia Newton-John for so many people.”

She added that the support of her mother’s fans had helped her through the grieving process, describing their kindness as “a big hug from the universe.”

This October, as Breast Cancer Awareness Month encourages conversations about breast health, Newton-John’s life offers a reminder of how one person’s experience can help others feel less alone. Her advocacy helped fund cancer care, support research and bring greater public attention to the disease.

Although her fight ended in 2022, the work she championed continues through the institutions and charitable initiatives established in her name. And for Chloe, her mother’s final words remain a deeply personal expression of the love that defined their relationship.

Olivia Newton-John’s legacy lives on not only through her music and films, but also through the research and awareness efforts she worked so hard to advance. What inspires you most about her story? Let us know, and then pass this along to friends and family who would appreciate the reminder of Pink October and what it stands for!