Nixon headlines Rose of Hope in Fairfield

By Amanda Cuda
Staff writer

FAIRFIELD -- For much of her life, actress Cynthia Nixon dealt with tragedy by going numb.

If trouble came, she'd "batten down the hatches," and charge ahead. That's what she did a few years ago, after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She steeled herself, plunged forward and kept it quiet from everyone but her closest family and friends.

When she finally did tell everyone in her life about her cancer, she was amazed that they weren't nearly as stoic about it as she was. "When I started telling people, I was startled at how taken aback they were," said Nixon, best known for her role as Miranda Hobbes on the iconic HBO sitcom "Sex and the City." "They would just burst into tears."

Nixon spoke Thursday afternoon at the ninth annual Rose of Hope Luncheon to benefit Bridgeport Hospital's Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center. More than 300 people attended the luncheon, held in the Fairfield home of Patti and Tom Keegan. The fundraiser also celebrated of 10th anniversary of the breast care center, which provides a wealth of breast cancer services in one place, including surgery, oncology and chemotherapy.

Stephen M. Jakab, president of the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, said, over the past decade, the center has made good on its goal to be a place where breast cancer patients can find nearly all the services they need to diagnose, treat and recover from their illness. "I think the breast center has done a remarkable job of reaching out to patients and their families and helping them on their breast cancer journey," Jakab said.

Nixon, who lives in New York, was the keynote speaker at the event. The award-winning performer has acted on television, on stage and in movies since age 11, when she did a short film for the American Cancer Society. Cancer reared its head in her life a few years later, when Nixon was 13 and her mother, Ann -- who also attended the luncheon -- was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time, Nixon said, her mother took great pains to reassure her young daughter. "She conveyed to me, very clearly, that she was going to be fine," Nixon said.

Indeed, not only did her mother survive that bout with cancer but, when it eventually came back, she beat it a second time.

So, in 2006, when a routine mammogram revealed something suspicious, Nixon was sure it would be nothing. Even after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she tried to be brave, thinking, as her mother had, that this was just a bump in the road.

As it turned out, Nixon came through her surgery and treatment with flying colors, though there were a lot of challenges. For instance, Nixon was in an off-Broadway play, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," during her battle with cancer. Her desire to keep the illness secret meant she couldn't miss any performances of the play -- including the one scheduled the day after her surgery.

But Nixon, as always, put her head down and charged through. Which was why she was stunned at how others in her life responded when she told them of her ordeal.

In fact, she didn't really feel the full weight of what had happened to her until last year, when she participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Washington D.C. There, she met many other survivors, all of whom had seen their lives altered by cancer. Meeting and talking to these survivors and their families, Nixon said, she finally felt part of the cancer community. "That was the first moment where I had an emotional connection to what I'd been through," she said.

Nixon said her ordeal has taught her to live her life slowly and fully. Though numbing herself during tough times has worked for her, Nixon admitted that it might not be the best way to face tragedy. "I think what's better, really, is to feel your fear," Nixon said. "Instead of deadening it, calm it."

In addition to Nixon's talk, the event honored local philanthropists Russell and Lauren Fuchs with the Rose of Hope Award. At a reception before the luncheon, Bridgeport Hospital President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Trefry said he was thrilled that the center has helped so many families over the past 10 years. "It's really a dream come true," he said.

© 2009 Connecticut Post
Used with permission