Farrah Fawcett Ignored Initial Cancer Symptoms While Caring for Dying 91-Year-Old Mother, Alana Stewart Reveals

• Farrah Fawcett ignored the first symptoms of cancer.
• She cared for her dying mother, putting her health in second place.
• After her death, Ryan O’Neal still honors her memory with flowers: “It was his way of telling her how much he loved her.”

Farrah Fawcett was no stranger to dealing with cancer as her older sister, Diane, had passed away in 1998 after a battle with lung cancer. The actress’ longtime boyfriend, Ryan O’Neal, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2001 but successfully beat it.

In 2006, Farrah was diagnosed, which she quickly tackled with radiation and chemotherapy (chemo). The following year, on her 60th birthday, she was declared cancer-free from anal cancer.

Three months later, she went in for a checkup that revealed the disease had returned. The “Charlie’s Angels” star’s illness had metastasized to her liver, and the condition was what finally took her life.

She died at age 62 in 2009 in the presence of Ryan, and her friends, Mela Murphy and Alana Stewart. In June 2023, almost fourteen years after the celebrity’s death, Stewart shared her recollection of her friend’s battle with the disease.

She recalled how the actress had always been determined in everything she attempted. Stewart said her friend faced her diagnosis and was determined to win because she was competitive and didn’t like losing.

Farrah wanted to survive her diagnosis to start her foundation, run it, and continue living. Her pal said she kept pushing when many people believed she wouldn’t and suffered through painful procedures.

The star’s friend shared how she tackled it with courage, grace, and dignity, and although she lost the battle, Stewart declared it “her finest hour.” It was said she showed the world what she could and that she loved life and wanted to live.

Farrah wished to survive so she could be there for Ryan and her son, with her friend adding, “No one wants to die, but she had such a determination to not give up.” That’s how it was until the end.

Stewart recalled how a nurse said they’d never seen anyone fight the way the actress did in the last two months of her life. The nurse was also in awe of her determination to stay alive.

However, the truth was that Farrah took a while to attend to her diagnosis when she first became aware of it. It wasn’t because she was too busy working, but due to a close relationship with someone special in her life.

Stewart recalled how Farrah started showing cancer symptoms while caring for her ill mother for a couple of months in Texas. Sadly, the star’s mother passed away at age 91 in 2005.

Her friend recalled how when Farrah’s mother was dying, she started having cancer symptoms while in Texas but chose to ignore them. Instead, her focus was on taking care of her ailing parent.

However, when she returned, Ryan urged her to see a doctor for a checkup, and she obliged. A colonoscopy determined her diagnosis, with Stewart revealing that their organization’s mission statement was to be aware and prevent by catching things early.

The celebrity’s friend wondered if Farrah would’ve had a different outcome if she had listened to her body and had seen a doctor when her symptoms began. Stewart noted how easy it was to ignore the signs thinking they weren’t serious or that you’ll deal with them next week or month.

The actress’ close friend vouched for early detection because most cancers were cured when caught sooner. Farrah was already in stage 4, and her pal believed she could’ve been today if she had done something sooner.

In 2006, Stewart was in Germany and shocked when her daughter asked her if it was confirmed that the star had cancer. She’d believed it was tabloid nonsense because they continuously hounded her friend.

However, she had a strange feeling about it, and although she wished it not to be accurate, she decided to call the actress anyway. It was probably nighttime in Los Angeles when she rang, and Farrah took long to answer, but when she did, Stewart said:

“‘Listen, I just heard this crazy rumor about you having cancer.’ She just started to cry. That’s how I found out.”

Although Farrah wasn’t around anymore, Stewart and Ryan kept her legacy alive through a foundation in her name. The latter also still paid tribute to the late actress yearly.

According to Stewart, Farrah wished to have a foundation that helped other anal cancer patients, but her diagnosis worsened. The actress’s friend confessed how difficult it was to see the celebrity in her last months.

Initially, the star was excited and couldn’t wait to get back to living, but she became quite frail. Even when things got worse, she kept her humor, and despite experiencing lots of pain, she continued being kind to everyone.

The last weeks of her life were trying, and Stewart and Ryan leaned on one another for support. In 2019, her longtime partner still recalled the woman he fell for in 1979, saying:

“There was never a day I didn’t love her.”

In 1985, Ryan and Farrah welcomed Redmond O’Neal but never tied the knot. The couple separated in 1997 but revealed they would co-parent and raise their son.

The celebrity’s [Farrah Fawcett] friends [Ryan O’Neal, Alana Stewart, and Mela Murphy] was determined to be there for her, but a time came when they looked at one another and knew the truth…

In 2001, they reunited when Ryan was diagnosed, and she cared for him. During her final days, the actress’ boyfriend brought her happiness as he was always able to make her life and even slept by her cot when she was at Los Angeles’ St. John’s Medical Center.

Murphy recalled that the night before Farrah died, Ryan kept talking until he got to the story of how he and the love of his life first met. She shared, “It was his way of telling her how much he loved her.”

The star looked over at Murphy, rolled her eyes, but smiled. Almost fourteen years after her death, Ryan still honored her by placing a red rose on her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and captioning his Instagram post:

“My forever Valentine…”

Stewart recalled how Ryan remained by Farrah’s side all the time and how they didn’t want to admit that things weren’t looking great. She believed the late star also didn’t want to face the truth, and she continued fighting for her life.

The celebrity’s friends were determined to be there for her, but a time came when they looked at one another and knew the truth she wasn’t going to heal. Murphy said the last thing her friend said before her death was her son’s name.

In tribute to the actress, the Farrah Fawcett Foundation was created to help with extensive research into prevention programs and HPV-related cancers. The late celebrity’s estate tasked Stewart to oversee the foundation.