Aussie singer songwriter Dannii Minogue has recently revealed that at the time her sister Kylie Minogue was cured of breast cancer, her best friend lost her battle against the disease.
London, May 06 : Aussie singer songwriter Dannii Minogue has recently revealed that at the time her sister Kylie Minogue was cured of breast cancer, her best friend lost her battle against the disease.
It was a very trying time for her, she revealed, as one way she was happy for sister and on the other she was feeling the pain of losing her best friend.
Dannii, spoke out for the first time about the tragic secret she kept hidden from the public in an interview as she walked The Great Wall Of China to raise funds for a cancer charity, crediting X Factor boss Simon Cowell for helping her through the darkest phase.
"There was a time when my best friend and my sister were both going through treatment, which was so tough," the Sun quoted her as saying.
"It was really hard for me that it happened at the same time.
"As soon as Kylie's treatment was over and I could take a breath, my friend died and I got hit by another tidal wave that felt like a tsunami," she said.
"Because the world knew about Kylie's illness, people would talk to me about cancer every time I stepped out of the house.
"People were coming up to me, hugging me and saying, 'Isn't it so great your sister's better?'
"I just wanted to scream, 'No! Nothing's okay. My friend is dead.'
"My friend's death isn't something I shared publicly until this moment because it was so personal," she added.
Having to be there for both her sister and her friend, who she doesn't want to name, has somehow left Dannii drained and emotional.
"I'm still really fragile. It takes time and I'm still trying to deal with it," she said, with her blue eyes filling with tears.
"You just have to stay strong while you're in the hospital then get home, shut the door, and fall to pieces if you want to.
"The way me and my sister dealt with it was to laugh and do Catherine Tate and Little Britain impressions.
'Some days I don't even want to acknowledge cancer exists, but on this walk I wanted to confront everything I've been through' "Laughter is definitely the best medicine," she added.
Dannii has been walking The Great Wall on a trek organised by Grease star and breast cancer survivor, Olivia Newton John, to raise funds for a new cancer centre in her hometown of Melbourne, Australia.
The facility will provide care for patients, respite for relatives, and both holistic and medical treatments.
Joining Dannii on the walk are British stars including Sir Cliff Richard, Toyah Wilcox and Gemma Atkinson.
"I don't want to talk about cancer every day of my life," Dannii said.
"Some days I don't even want to acknowledge cancer exists, but on this walk I wanted to confront everything I've been through.
"It's been really emotional, I've been a mess.
"One day we stood at the feet of this enormous Buddha in a temple and it made me realise the world is bigger than me.
"For me, coming on this walk was about acceptance.
"I'm walking for the people I'm lucky enough to have had survive, and for the people that I've lost," she stated.
As the interview continues after a gruelling day of walking, Dannii's phone bleeps.
"I just got a text from Kylie saying: 'Keep going, going, going," she said.
"She knows what it means to raise funds for cancer and thinks it's fantastic," she explained.
On her emotions where her friend was concerned, Dannii found it very difficult to cope.
"There are many times I reach that point of anger where I want to shout, 'Why?' so loudly," she exclaimed.
"I sat by the hospital bed where my best friend was making calls to arrange her funeral and everything else.
"She was arranging to die.
"To sit there and watch her do that, I can't even explain what that's like.
"I just don't understand this whole cancer thing, I can't.
"It's so unfair.
"But I just want us to make a difference, and I think together we can do that," she concluded.
To sponsor Dannii's walk go to greatwalktobeijing.com
ANI