Robin from How I Met Your Mother is bravely opening up about a scary time in her life. Actress Cobie Smulders was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 25 years old, she revealed in Women's Health's May issue for the first time publicly. Thankfully, she beat the illness, but that doesn't mean Smulders isn't still somewhat scared that the cancer will return. She explained, "I don't think I'll ever feel like I'm cancer-free."
In the issue, the actress shared details about her cancer, which started at a very young age. "I had tumors on both ovaries, and the cancer had spread into my lymph nodes and surrounding tissues." For over two years, Smulders underwent multiple surgeries to remove the cancerous tissues.
The diagnosis came during Season 3 of HIMYM, but, obviously, that didn't stop Smulders from portraying her character, Robin. She maintained her series regular role and fought the cancer all at once.
Now that she's been cancer-free for five years, Smulders is looking to use her battle with the disease to her advantage: she's hoping to raise awareness, all while looking at having cancer optimistically. She said, "Now that I'm five years out, I'm trying to think of it as a positive thing and what can I learn from it. And if I can create more awareness, I'll do it."
There's no doubt Smulders is doing just that. What an inspiration.
