Fans of the iconic ‘90s lifeguard series Baywatch will fondly remember Nicole Eggert for her role as Summer Quinn.

But behind the scenes, the now 51-year-old actress has faced considerable challenges as a single mother of two working to build a career in Hollywood.

In a revelation that has shocked fans and supporters alike, Nicole Eggert has shared a deeply personal and challenging health diagnosis.

The actress, who starred alongside Pamela Anderson, has been diagnosed with stage 2 cribriform carcinoma, a form of breast cancer, last December.

Baywatch star Nicole Eggert shared a health update. Image source: Instagram/@_nicole_eggert.

Eggert first noticed something was amiss when she experienced a rapid weight gain of 11kg within three months and a persistent, severe pain in her left breast.

Initially, she attributed these symptoms to menopause, a common assumption for women in her age group.

However, during a routine self-examination of her breasts, she discovered a lump that sent alarm bells ringing.

'It was really throbbing and hurting,' she shared.

'I immediately went to my general practitioner, and she told me I had to immediately go get it looked at.'

'But the problem was I just couldn’t get an appointment. Everything was booked.'

It wasn't until the end of November that she was able to get a mammogram and three subsequent biopsies.

The results confirmed her worst fears—she had breast cancer.

'This journey's been rough for me,' Eggert confessed.

'This hasn't been a breezy sail through life. I always read inspirational quotes and corny stuff, but it gets me through.'

The road ahead for Eggert is daunting. She will need surgery to remove the cancerous lump, followed by a potential course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

'I can definitely feel it,' she shared.

'It’s there [and] needs to be taken out.'

'So it’s just a matter of do I have to do treatment before the surgery or can they perform the surgery, and then I do the treatment after.'

The diagnosis has understandably caused moments of panic for the actress.

'You sit there, and it's in you, and you're like, every second that passes…it's inside of me,' she said.

'It's growing, and you're just like, you just want it out.'

As a single mum to two daughters, Keegan, 12, and Dilyn, 25, Eggert's diagnosis has also brought about a wave of concern for her children.

She recalled the look of 'horror' that crossed Keegan's face when she broke the news.

'(Dilyn’s) an adult, but I have a 12-year-old at home where I’m the only caregiver. I have no family. I have nothing,' Eggert added.

'It immediately made me realise, there’s just no succumbing to this.'

'This is something I have to get through. This is something that I have to beat.'

'She needs me more than anything and anybody.'

To help with the financial burden of her treatment, a friend of Eggert's has launched a GoFundMe page.

'It’s been a long time since Charles in Charge and Baywatch,' friend Mindy Molinary wrote, sharing a photo of Eggert with her two daughters.

'As a single mum, she’s had to struggle financially to raise her two daughters.'

'She still has a little one at home, and she is terrified of not being able to afford the treatments and surgery necessary while also keeping a roof over their heads.'

'She’s lost both her parents and doesn’t have any family to lean on or help her with this situation.'

The fundraiser aims to raise $100,000 to cover the costs of her medical treatments, surgeries, medications, and to help support her family during this challenging time.

So far, the fundraiser has received $10,000 in donations, with $90,000 left to reach the target amount.

The actress’s friends and fans expressed their willingness to help when the link was shared on her social media page.

'As a breast cancer survivor my heart goes out to you. I wish you quick healing and a positive outcome,' one said.

While another added: 'Very sorry to hear this. You have a big support system out here rooting for you.'

Key Takeaways

• Nicole Eggert, known for her role on Baywatch, has disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis.
• The actress will undergo surgery to remove the cancer and may need further treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
• She experienced symptoms she initially attributed to menopause before finding a lump during a self-examination.
• A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Eggert's treatment, highlighting her status as a single mother without family support.

Members, what are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments below.

 

[Leenie]

I have great empathy for Nicole , removing the lump is short sighted as there could be other smaller lumps that haven’t been picked up , as my surgeon explained when I went through breast cancer .

 

[Penny4]

That's a rare type of cancer when I looked it up. My cousin had a rare type too when she turned 60 yrs old. Her type was an inflammatory breast cancer and luckily it hadn't spread.
I had breast cancer at 44 yrs old, and fortunate that it wasn't an aggressive type.

 

[Leenie]

That's a rare type of cancer when I looked it up. My cousin had a rare type too when she turned 60 yrs old. Her type was an inflammatory breast cancer and luckily it hadn't spread.
I had breast cancer at 44 yrs old, and fortunate that it wasn't an aggressive type.

Mine was stage 3 aggressive , lucky it was still encapsulated and never needed chemo, which iwould have rejected as it is worse than the disease , only need to look at what happened with O N J ,.she only had the lump removed , I wasn’t concerned about losing a breast , just about my health .

 

[Penny4]

Mine was stage 3 aggressive , lucky it was still encapsulated and never needed chemo, which iwould have rejected as it is worse than the disease , only need to look at what happened with O N J ,.she only had the lump removed , I wasn’t concerned about losing a breast , just about my health .

Yes, you were lucky.
It's all individual though what treatment we get, as it depends on aggressiveness, size and type of breast cancer.
My cousin needed chemo to shrink the inflammatory before surgery.

 

[Leenie]

Yes, you were lucky.
It's all individual though what treatment we get, as it depends on aggressiveness, size and type of breast cancer.
My cousin needed chemo to shrink the inflammatory before surgery.

I do hope your cousin has fully recovered ,as this is a nasty disease .

 

[Jarred Santos]

We also hope all of you have had better days since your respective diagnoses

 

[Littleboy8]

We also hope all of you have had better days since your respective diagnoses

Lovely comment jarred

 

[Penny4]

I do hope your cousin has fully recovered ,as this is a nasty disease .

Yes, she's doing fine thanks.

 

[Macarj]

If it is deeply personal why tell the world!!!

 

[Leenie]

If it is deeply personal why tell the world!!!

If our experience can help others , I don’t mind ,after all this is an anonymous forum ,and feels like family .

 

[Ezzy]

When my mother (RIP), learnt she had lumps in her breasts she told Doctors before the operation, 'if you find the tests are positive, don't bother waking me & asking what l want to do, just take them off'. That is exactly what happened to her.