Anastacia survivor chick – Honorary Oakley

So it’s April (2005) already and we’re thinking about which wonderful woman out there in the world deserves to be honored and adored and of course added to the Honorary Oakley archive. You would imagine it’d be easy to find someone worthy, but its actually fairly difficult and a lengthy process, so this month we’ve decided to be a tiny bit selfish and use someone who has very recently had a big impact on us and indeed is making a difference in the world, particularly with her devotion to raising awareness for Breast Cancer in younger women. So, with all that said, lets take a look at our kick ass, rocking chick new to the Honorary Oakley’s, Anastacia.

Let’s take a closer look at Anastacia herself…..

Anastacia – A quick bio:

Full Name: Anastacia Lyn Newkirk
Born: Chicago, September 17th 1968.
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 53kg
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Green/Brown
Nicknames: Stage, Stacy
Occupation: Singer

Background Information:
Anastacia was born the second of three children to a family steeped in the entertainment industry (her mother was a theater actress and her father a nightclub singer), so it’s perhaps inevitable that she would eventually take to the stage herself despite early dreams of becoming an archaeologist. After her parents divorced in her early teens, Anastacia, her siblings and her mother moved to New York where she attended the Professional Children’s School there.

Diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease when she was merely 13, Anastacia’s life took an unexpected twist, throwing her head first into a series of hospital visits, doctors appointments and illness bouts which culminated in a serious operation to remove part of her colon. Still sporting the large scar to this day, she refuses to have it airbrushed out in any magazine photos and prefers to openly discuss how such a scary time in her life made her a stronger person;
“I have a big scar on my stomach and would never hide it. Crohn’s can be debilitating, but I am lucky to be in the two to three per cent of sufferers who are relatively healthy. I have Crohn’s friends who have been in and out of hospital, or have colostomy bags and some have died. I think I got it so young that I incorporated it into my way of living, enabling me to become stronger”
Eventually appearing in music videos such as Salt n Peppas ‘Twist and Shout’, Anastacia’s taste of stardom had begun and she embarked on her dream of becoming a star. Whilst pursuing this dream, she was fired from her job in an LA hair salon for ‘being too loud’ and was about to give up when it was suggested she try out on an MTV Talent Show known as ‘The Cut’. The rest as they say is history.

International Success:
In 2000, Anastacia released her first album entitled ‘Not That Kind’ and international fame beckoned. A throng of awards came her way and her stardom continued to grow, eventually leading to a break in the USA when she appeared on the much hyped VH1 DIVAS show. With the release and success of a second album in 2002 entitled ‘Freak Of Nature’. Things were looking rosey for Anastacia and it seemed her hard work had eventually paid off. With record sales in excess of 10 million units, people were becoming aware of Anastacia’s booming voice and wacky personality. Then suddenly in January 2003, her entire life was thrown into turmoil once again when she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the young age of 35.

A Change Of Direction:
During an examination for a breast reduction, Anastacia’s physician suggested she have a mammogram, a fairly unusual procedure for women under 50. During this, it was discovered that Anastacia had the early stages of cancer in her breast and she was told she would need to undergo a 7 hour surgical procedure in order to remove the cancer and to reconstruct her breast. Her doctor revealed that she had a very aggressive form of cancer and it was only due to the early detection that she did not face a far more life threatening condition. During her subsequent weeks of radiation treatment, Anastacia never forgot about her fans and the well wishers out there and sent them a message from her sick bed; “My will, my faith and my body have been challenged, but make no mistake, my heart is strong and my resolve to fight will never be broken. To all the people that have reached out to wish me well, I thank you from the bottom of my heart,”
Fans eagerly awaited news that her treatment had been a success and wondered whether they’d ever see her perform live again when so much of her performance is bound up in her physicality.

Survivor Chick:
In the late stages of 2003, Anastacia reassured the world she was back and she had learned a few more valuable life lessons in the process of recovering from cancer. During her recuperation period, Anastacia had not only managed to pour her heart and soul into a new album which expressed more than ever her inner feelings about her health battles, but she’d also managed to set up a fund known as The Anastacia Fund which aimed to help target awareness of breast cancer in younger women and those with no family history of the disease. She was coming back with something to say but now, it wasn’t just about entertainment it was about education.
Anastacia has since her battle with cancer been on a mission to educate and to support those who suffer breast cancer. As she herself states: “if there is anything that I’ve learned from this experience it is to get a mammogram early. Even if not covered by insurance, give up that pair of shoes, don’t go out for that expensive dinner – get a mammogram.”
Her recent interviews have all focused heavily on how you can help to raise awareness for this cause and how you can support it by simply donating or spreading the word. Many of her recent concerts have had merchandise for sale whose profits go directly to The Anastacia Fund and her ‘Survivor Chick’ gear has become one of the most popular ways of donating to the fund. Her new single ‘Heavy on my Heart’ is donating all profits from sales to the Anastacia fund.

Make A Difference:
Anyone who has been to an Anastacia concert will tell you that her exuberant energy, charismatic performances and real respect for the fans keeps her as popular as she ever was. She will happily discuss her illnesses on stage and actively encourages the audience to ‘Make A Difference’. Her devotion to ensuring that we get the message about her anti-war feelings, desire to make the world a safer place for children, and overall motto of ‘Peace, Love and Unity’ makes her a true rock chick with a heart of gold. Overcoming her own problems and using the experience to try to motivate others to do something selfless in this world and to speak out against those things which enrage you are just part of what makes Anastacia worthy of being this months Honorary Oakley. She can sing, she can dance, she can certainly shake her ass but the best thing about Anastacia is she keeps it real and she holds out hope that others in the world will realize that’s the way forward as well.

So there you go. That’s another Honorary Oakley for you, she’s everything it stands for and more.

Anastacia Newkirk We Salute you!

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