Cancer Update from Komal
Hey Dreamers
This is an update many months in the making, and it’s not one I think I would have been ready to share before today. The last time you heard from me, I shared about my cancer diagnosis and that I was scheduled for my first surgery a few weeks before our White House Premiere.
Since then a lot has happened. You’ve been in-the-loop on the amazing progress and momentum behind Dream, Girl and the movement, but I haven’t shared the tough parts that have come with fighting a confusing, complicated disease and the baggage that came with it.
First, I want you all to know how incredible our DG team is. Erin, my soul sister, kept our ship barreling forward this summer after we got news that I needed to undergo a second surgery. Diana and Kylie stepped up and helped Erin refine and build our distribution strategy. They all gave me the space I needed to recover, to crash, and to start rebuilding my life.
The first surgery in May didn’t remove enough tissue, so I needed a follow-up surgery. After the second surgery, I received the amazing news that I was cancer free, but without a massive event to plan, and film to produce, I crashed, really hard. My mind and body hit rock bottom.
But day by day, with the unrelenting love of the people around me, I started to find myself. With rest, a short pause, and a new goal in mind, I started to feel like me again. I was ready to be back in Brooklyn with the team, to have a semblance of normalcy and routine, to start building my strength back.
Mitch (my boyfriend) moved to Brooklyn with me after 8 months of long-distance. A week after we moved he proposed! We’ve been together for nearly eight years, and I am a stronger, more loving woman because of him. Mitch gave me the strength to face this summer and my recovery fully, and I couldn’t have dreamed of a better partner to spend the rest of my life with. I have tears in my eyes as I write this! (I love you babe!)
For the past three weeks, I’ve been back in Brooklyn, back at work, and I’m starting to understand this life on the other side. Cancer changed my life. It’s changed me in ways I won’t fully understand for years to come. It’s also enabled me to feel a deeper gratitude than I ever have.
Knowing that this is the community I have come home to after one of the hardest experiences of my life gave me so much strength. Thank you from the depths of my soul for sharing this journey with us, and walking with us every step of the way.
There’s no better way to sign this off than to share a little behind-the-scenes look at our World Premiere. Check out this week’s video and take in one of the best nights of our lives with us!
Until next time,
Komal