Controversial Dance Moms personality, Abby Lee Miller, had has her fair share of controversy. From alleged staging of fights and disagreements on the show, to her imprisonment for fraud, she had received a lot of negative attention. However, one fight that Miller truly needs sympathy for, is the one she had with cancer. In April 2018, she was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The 54-year-old recently opened up about the battle, and became inevitably tearful.
The rare type of cancer affected her spine, and is said to be lethal within weeks, if not treated quickly. Following the surgery and treatment, Miller has been largely wheelchair bound, requiring intense physical therapy in order to regain her mobility. She required two emergency spinal surgeries, and 10 rounds of chemotherapy. As of 2019, she is cancer free, but her physical limitations remain. However, she posts regular Instagram updates of her progress, and seems to be largely positive.
During an interview with Dr Mehmet Oz however, she became overwhelmed with emotion, when talking about her illness. The host questioned her over her near death experience, and now being confined to a wheelchair. She replied "Horrible. It is awful. I said to friends many times, 'why did you not let me die?' I don't have children, I do not have a husband, I came here to teach dance."
It appears quite understandable that she would become so emotional, what she has been through is unimaginable, and must've been very traumatic. Despite her positive nature, it would seem that she is only human, and the impact of facing up to her near death, and grueling treatment, not to mention her intense rehabilitation, must be taking their toll.
However, she is continuing to make progress, and although it isn't known if Dance Moms is returning for another season, Miller has proved that she isn't ready to hang up those dance shoes yet, and will be doing jazz hands throughout the rest of her recovery!