Mel McLaughlin has broken her silence on a private cancer battle she has been secretly fighting since December.
The beloved brunette Seven News sports presenter has revealed she was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and has already undergone major surgery to remove half of one of her lungs.
“I was diagnosed with lung cancer in December, so that led to surgery. I’ve had half my lung cut out,” she said during an interview with Mark Ferguson.
“It’s very traumatic. It’s very triggering. It’s just a lot of emotions, and also you don’t want to worry anyone.”
Mel, 46, is a lifelong non-smoker, and her tumour was caught early at Stage 2.
Few would have known what Mel was going through as she hosted Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test and Sydney’s Pink Test in early January, fitting in blood tests and scans between broadcasts, right up until the day before her operation.
“The reason why I wanted to do it is not to talk about me, it’s awareness,” said Mel.
“It’s the biggest cancer killer in the country. It’s got a terrible stigma. I feel like I owe it to my sister. I just owe it to people who maybe could get something out of this. Smoker, non-smoker – no one deserves lung cancer.”
Her shock diagnosis comes a decade after Mel lost her sister Tara to lung cancer at just 39 years old.
“I don’t want anyone to think that in our family, lung cancer meant death. We have one example,” she added.
In an interview with our sister publication The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2022, Mel opened up about the family tragedy, explaining how every day was “hard” following her sister’s passing.
“There’s literally not a day [that] she’s not in our hearts and thoughts,” she told the publication.
Right now, Mel remains focused on what’s ahead – both her recovery and raising awareness for a disease she feels deeply connected to.
“Recovery is slow but good,” she added.
We’re all cheering for you, Mel.
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