Nicole Eggert has seen her celebrity friends rally to her cause as she raises money for her battle against stage two breast cancer.
Days ago, the Baywatch alum announced that she had been diagnosed with the illness last month and admitted the ‘journey’s been rough for me.’
As Nicole, 51, faced down a mountain of medical expenses, a friend of hers launched a GoFundMe for her treatment with a $100,000 goal.
Now, four days after the page went live, it has collected over $27,000 – and Nicole’s famous pals have been among the contributors.
One of the top donations listed on the GoFundMe page is by Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills Kyle Richards, who contributed $1,000.
Nicole Eggert has seen her celebrity friends rally to her cause as she raises money for her battle against stage two breast cancer
One of the top donations listed on the GoFundMe page is by Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills Kyle Richards , who contributed $1,000
Amid her separation from her dashing husband Mauricio Umansky, she nevertheless used her married name Kyle Umansky on the site.
In an interview with TMZ, Nicole explained that she and Kyle have been friends since they were jobbing around Hollywood as child actresses.
Nicole also shared that her old Baywatch co-star David Hasselhoff and Who’s The Boss? castmate Alyssa Milano have been in touch.
Bethenny Frankel has contributed $500 to Eggert’s GoFundMe, as has her fiancé Paul Bernon in a separate donation of his own.
When Nicole reached out to Bethenny to express her gratitude, Bethenny said she would be on hand for anything Nicole required.
Bethenny is noted for her philanthropy via her organization BStrong, which has responded to such crises as COVID-19 and the Russian war on Ukraine.
Nicole’s close friend Mindy Molinary, who launched the GoFundMe for her cancer treatment, wrote on the page that the actress has been under financial strain.
‘It’s been a long time since Charles in Charge and Baywatch,’ she pointed out. ‘As a single mom, she’s had to struggle financially to raise her two daughters. She still has a little one at home and she is terrified of not being able to afford the treatments and surgery necessary while also keeping a roof over their heads.’
Bethenny Frankel has contributed $500 to Eggert’s GoFundMe, as has her fiancé Paul Bernon in a separate donation of his own
Mindy noted further that Nicole has ‘lost both her parents and doesn’t have any family to lean on or help her with this situation.’
Nicole, who made her first public appearance in 18 months last June, opened up about her health battle during an interview with People published on Monday.
The actress stated that after gaining around 25 pounds and feeling pain in her left breast beginning in October, she underwent a mammogram and three biopsies – which resulted in a diagnosis of stage two cribriform carcinoma breast cancer.
While initially she assumed her symptoms were due to menopause, she ‘immediately’ got in touch with the doctor when she felt a lump after doing a self exam.
‘It really was throbbing and hurting,’ Nicole explained. ‘I immediately went to my general practitioner and she told me I had to immediately go get it looked at.’
Nicole, 51, revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last month, and admitted that the ‘journey’s been rough for me’
The star notably portrayed the role of Roberta “Summer” Quinn on the hit series, Baywatch, for its third and fourth seasons; seen with Pamela Anderson (right) in 1992
However, she added, ‘the problem was I just couldn’t get an appointment. Everything was booked. So I had to wait until the end of November to get it done.’
Eggert – who is mother to two daughters – admitted to the outlet, ‘This journey’s been rough for me.’
‘This hasn’t been a breezy sail through life,’ the actress said, adding that she has been focusing on positivity. ‘I always read inspirational quotes and corny stuff, but it gets me through.’
Nicole revealed that her next steps is to have surgery to remove the cancer, and to also undergo chemotherapy and radiation. The star added that it is currently not clear if the cancer has spread.
In regards to the lump, she explained, ‘I can definitely feel it. It’s there. It needs to be taken out. So it’s just a matter of do I have to do treatment before the surgery or can they perform the surgery and then I do the treatment after.’
Eggert got candid about the difficulty of waiting, expressing, ‘I have panics where I’m like, just get this out of me.’
‘You sit there and it’s in you and you’re like, every second that passes and it’s inside of me. It’s growing, and you’re just like, you just want it out.’
Nicole is mother to daughters Dilyn, 25, and Keegan, 12, and admitted that her ‘biggest fear’ is no longer being there for her children.
‘This hasn’t been a breezy sail through life,’ the actress said, adding that she has been focusing on positivity. ‘I always read inspirational quotes and corny stuff, but it gets me through’; seen in 2017
She explained that while Dilyn is ‘an adult,’ the actress also has ‘a 12-year-old at home where I’m the only caregiver. I have no family. I have nothing.’
The Blown Away actress recalled the moment when she told her children of her breast cancer diagnosis, and remembered ‘the horror’ on Keegan’s face.
‘It immediately made me realize, there’s just no succumbing to this. This is something I have to get through. This is something that I have to beat. She needs me more than anything and anybody.’
The star – who is a single mother – told People that financially, it has not been easy.
‘My fear is that my everyday hustle, everything that I do to keep everything going is going to come to a screeching halt when I’m not feeling well or I’m sick or I’m in the hospital or whatever is going on.’
Nicole continued, ‘It’s just so overwhelming, and I’m just doing everything I can not to spiral.’
‘At night when I lay down, I panic because I’m like, “Well, who’s going to cover all the bills? Who’s going to do all of this?”‘
Eggert’s close friend, Mindy Molinary, has set up a GoFundMe for Nicole to help the star with finances as her health battle begins.
Nicole is mother to daughters Dilyn, 25, and Keegan, 12, and admitted that her ‘biggest fear’ is no longer being there for her children; seen in 2000 in Santa Monica
The actress has shared a link to the page on her social media accounts, including Instagram.
In the caption alongside a photo of her with her two daughters, she penned, ‘Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.’
‘If we believe tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. – Thich Nhat Hnah. Link in bio- Please read and Please share.’
She also sent gratitude towards her friend’s assistance while talking to the publication and revealed that has plans to start a non-profit organization after her recovery.
‘I absolutely 100% want to start a non-profit for other single parents such as myself, who don’t have any family, don’t have anybody to turn to.’
‘They take on all this by themselves because they love their kids so much, but when something happens to them, then what?’ Nicole added.
Real Housewives alum, Bethenny Frankel, shared a screenshot of the GoFundMe page on her Instagram stories and wrote, ‘As a mother this breaks my heart…’
‘I donated to this cause. As someone with no parental support, it’s been scary to be out there alone. To be responsible for girls, scared not to be able to put a roof over their head much less not be there for them is terrifying.’
‘Then to have no earning power…it’s all horrific. Spread the word. Make a small donation,’ she informed her followers, adding that people close to her have also matched her donation.
Eggert’s close friend, Mindy Molinary, has set up a GoFundMe for Nicole to help the star with finances as her health battle begins
She sent her gratitude towards her friend’s assistance and revealed that has plans to start a non-profit organization after her recovery
Real Housewives alum, Bethenny Frankel, shared a screenshot of the page and wrote, ‘As a mother this breaks my heart…’
‘The name of this game is paying it forward. I don’t even know her but now my heart is breaking for her and those little girls…Xoxo.’
After facing financial struggles in the past, such as filing for bankruptcy for a third time in 2013, the star notably started a new venture in 2014 by becoming a driver for her own ice cream truck.
Nicole notably portrayed the role of Roberta “Summer” Quinn on the hit series, Baywatch, for its third and fourth seasons.
She also starred in Charles In Charge from 1987 through 1990, and played the character of Jamie Powell.
