Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, has spoken up about her difficult battle against breast cancer. In an interview with People, 71-year-old Tina broke her silence about her life-changing diagnosis last July.
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Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's Mom, Speaks Up About Breast Cancer Journey
The mother of the 43-year-old superstar has just released a memoir, Matriarch. In the midst of writing it, she got the horrifying news that she had stage 1 breast cancer in her left breast. "I struggled with whether I would share that journey [in the book] because I'm very private," said Tina. "But I decided to share it because I think it's a lot of lessons in it for other women."
One of her main reasons for speaking up about her private cancer battle is to warn other women about getting tests. "It's important not to slack on your mammograms," Tina continued. "I think as women, sometimes we get so busy and we get so wrapped up and running around, but you must go get your test.
Beyoncé's mother admitted that getting tested early may have saved her life. "If I had not gotten my test early, I mean, I shudder to think what could have happened to me." Tina even acknowledged that she missed appointments herself, which she regrets.
"I forgot that I didn't go to get my test two years before I thought I had," she said. "Because Covid came and they called me and canceled me and they said, we'll call you when we start testing again. And I just thought I had done it. So you cannot play around with that."
How Beyoncé Reacted To Her Mother's Cancer Diagnosis
Sharing the news with her daughters, Beyoncé and 38-year-old Solange, was easier than she thought it'd be. Her Album of the Year-winning daughter took the news with grace and strength. Tina said she "took it well, staying positive, and I could already feel her mind racing, focusing on this as a task to tackle with precision."
Solange, on the other hand, was ready to help however she could. Solange said, "Mom, we are going to take care of this." Having a support system certainly helped Tina through that tough period. "My girls became my team," Tina said.
The good news is that Tina underwent surgery late last year to get rid of the tumor. She also received a breast reduction, and since then, she has been feeling great. "Cancer-free and incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early," said Tina. "I'm healthier, eating better, I lost weight."
While the superstar's mother wants to raise awareness on cancer screenings, she also wants "to show people you can go through that and still be fly." Tina added, "I want to give people hope. What scares me now is not making the best of every day that I have left in this life."
