Sharon Stone was awarded the Courage Award on Thursday night during the Women’s Cancer Research Fund’s An Unforgettable Evening fundraiser. She delivered a heartfelt speech that, at times, had her in tears and ended with a standing ovation. She paid respects to the night’s other honorees and encouraged attendees to open their pocketbooks to benefit WCRF. She also shone a light on living examples of courage by asking breast cancer survivors to stand and be recognized. Stone spent time detailing her own prior health challenges, including her experience with mammograms and her own breast cancer scare.
Stone underwent breast reconstruction surgery in 2001 after doctors removed benign tumors that were “gigantic, bigger than my breasts alone.” She revealed last November that she was misdiagnosed and had an “incorrect procedure” that left her with worsening pain. As a result, she fielded a second opinion and found out that she had “a large fibroid tumor” that also required surgery.
From the stage, Stone also explained that her hair stylist arrived to do her hair for the event after receiving her first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Stone helped her pick out hats, beanies, and do-rags, and made sure she had a way to deal with the hair loss. Stone also broke down in tears as she tried to rally the crowd to give more money to WCRF.
Stone referenced her brother’s recent death due to heart disease and encouraged the audience to stand up and say what they’re worth. She also talked about a banking issue that caused her to lose half of her money, but she urged people to write checks if they had difficulty with the texting donation system. The event also included a performance by Maroon 5, who donated their time to the cause.