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Ananda Lewis is celebrating 50 years around the sun. On March 21, the former MTV host took to Instagram to celebrate her birthday with a special gift for her followers. “Well, no use and fighting it anymore. AARP has already sent me my first piece of mail. I wonder who told them,” the buzzing veejay joked before thanking God for her “amazing life.”
“It’s my 50th birthday. God is so good. I have had an amazing life so far. I have been way too blessed to be anything but grateful to see this big number big. It’s a big number and it’s a great excuse to give you a gift,” she added.
In honor of her 50th, Lewis surprised her followers with a chance to win $500 worth of Herbal Face Food Products, her favorite skincare brand.
Fans who entered the contest were also eligible to win a free e-book copy of The Self Health Revolution by Herbal Face Food founder Michael Zenn.
In the comments section, several users showered the former Total Request Live host with birthday love.
“Happy 50th Birthday My Beautiful Sister!!! Welcome to the fabulous 50s!!” wrote nutritionist Coach Gessie Thompson.
“HAPPY B DAY SISTEEEERR!!! I want face food, ” singer India.Arie commented.
Lewis has been living life despite her cancer diagnosis
Ananda Lewis has a lot to celebrate this year. Especially, given her scary breast cancer diagnosis. In 2020, the California native was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, a prognosis that could have been preventable.
“For a really long time, I have refused mammograms, and that was a mistake,” Lewis revealed at the time.
“If I had done the mammograms from the time they were recommended when I turned 40, they would have caught the tumor in my breast years before I caught it through my own breast exam—self-exam—and thermography,” the Teen Summit host continued.
“And they would have caught it at a place where it was more manageable — where the treatment of it would have been a little easier. It’s never easier, but I use that word in comparison to what I’m going through now. Instead, what I’m dealing with is stage 3 breast cancer that is in my lymphs. I need you to get your mammograms.”
Toward the end of her video, Lewis vowed to live life to the fullest.
“I have a nine-year-old I need to be here for. I have no intention on leaving him. I don’t want to leave any of my kids. I don’t want to leave my friends or my family. Hell, I don’t want to leave myself,” she said, adding, “I like being here. So, listen, this is not how this was supposed to go but I’m just going to keep it real with you like I always do.”
Since revealing her grave diagnosis, the journalist has been receiving natural cancer treatments to keep her tumors at bay.
In the late ’90s, the San Diego-bred star rose to fame as the host of MTV’s Total Request Live and later as the host of her own talk show, The Ananda Lewis Show, which aired from 2001 to 2002. Now, the sunny personality uses her social media platform to raise awareness about health and social issues. She also documents her daily life.
A few days before her birthday, Lewis took to her page to share her fears about turning 50.
“50 is stalking and harassing me!! If I’m being honest. I am both grateful AND shooketh simultaneously,” the health guru captioned the video. “Anyone blessed with this half-a-century-old milestone has some advice for me? Saying goodbye to my 40s is bittersweet. There’s less than a week left in this decade of my life!” she added.
Happy birthday, Ananda Lewis! We’re happy to see you thriving and defying the odds!
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