Michael Schmidt-Maria Menounos Proudly Shares Photo of Pancreatic Cancer Surgery Scars

2025-05-01 13:48:16source:Burley Garciacategory:Markets

Maria Menounos is Michael Schmidtembracing her body after her battle with pancreatic cancer.

The Better Together author recently reflected on undergoing surgery to remove a 3.9 in tumor earlier this year, sharing a mirror selfie in which four scars can be seen across her stomach.

"I look back on surgery earlier this year and am grateful for the strength god blessed me with to get through and of course all of the beautiful humans that he sent to help me too!" Menounos captioned her post July 9. "Now I see the scars that I sunscreen up carefully to protect and I smile."

The entertainment journalist was diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer in January, undergoing surgery to remove the tumor as well as part of her pancreas, her spleen, a large fibroid and 17 lymph nodes the following month. During this time, Menounos and her husband Keven Undergaro shared that after a decade of fertility struggles, they were expecting a baby girl via surrogate.

However, the joy of impending parenthood was at times overshadowed by Menounos' health battle.

"I remember waking up the next morning, and I hadn't really cried," Menounos told Today in May, "but I just started guttural crying, because I'm like, 'How could God finally bless me with a baby after 10 years, and now I'm not gonna get to meet her?'"

The 45-year-old publicly shared news of her diagnosis in May, noting that she was cancer-free and on her road to recovery.

"I feel so blessed and so grateful because I've been given so many miracles," she explained at the time. "Like, I'm so, so blessed. And I know that other people can be too. So, my mission is to help people listen to their bodies and learn how to listen to their bodies."

And now she's just counting the days until she gets to meet her baby girl.

"I'm grateful that I'm in this position, and I know God made this all happen for me to be able to help other people," Menounos continued. "And I'm just so lucky that I'm going to be able to hold my baby this summer. That's the best blessing of all."

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