Scroll through Dr. Vicki Belo’s Instagram page and you would think she has the perfect life—a loving husband, wonderful children, and a successful beauty and wellness company under her belt. However, the celebrity doctor admits that there’s a lot we don’t see online, including the adversities that challenged her physical and emotional health.
In her recent interview with Filipina broadcaster Korina Sanchez, Vicki opened up about her battle with breast cancer for the first time since she was diagnosed in 2016.
“I had cancer in 2016 and I was diagnosed with [stage 3 breast cancer]. I went to Europe for treatment so I kind of disappeared for a year and a half to two years. I was told that I was going to die. ‘Don’t bother to have chemo, just fix your affairs, you’re dead in two years’,” she reveals.
When her daughter Scarlet Snow Belo was born, the public didn’t know about it until a year later when Vicki accidentally revealed the news during an interview.
“While I was having my interview, my hair was falling on the floor. They asked me a question, ‘What are your plans for the future?’ But when you have cancer kasi, you don’t have plans, you just want to get well. I couldn’t answer,” she says. “So I looked at them and said, ‘Do you know Hayden and I have a baby?’ I didn’t know what to say, gusto ko yung attention mawala sa akin. We weren’t planning to say anything.”
Vicki admits that it was Scarlet who became her strength to push through when she was declared cancer-free after several chemotherapy sessions.
“The number one secret is Scarlet. I look at her and I want to be with her. I didn’t want to leave her so young, so I kept praying, ‘Lord, please give me time.’”
She continued with an inspiring message, “Nakikita niyo yung Instagram, akala niyo yung life namin perfect. Wala talagang perfect na buhay. Lagi niyong hanapin yung ganda sa buhay niyo. Health is wealth, so now that’s really my thing.”
You continue to inspire us with your strength, Vicki!
*This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
