Girls of Cancer: Miss February

Sheryl Crow

Clearly, Lance Armstrong gave Sheryl Crow cancer. How else can you explain her breast cancer diagnosis occurring less than a month after their engagement break-off?

Sheryl Crow became famous in the early 90s with hits like "All I Wanna Do." Her music is often considered rock, though I think it's more like pop. I wasn't a huge fan of hers, mostly because I frowned upon pop music until my mid-teens when I started buying Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and ‘N Sync albums. That really shouldn’t be public knowledge.

Sheryl Crow recorded a cover version of the Guns N’ Roses song "Sweet Child o’ Mine," she was Michael Jackson’s backup singer in the late 80s, and dabbled with acting. Like all rock stars, Sheryl has smoked some weed, dealt with depression, and been rumored to have had an affair with Eric Clapton. She wasn't tempting enough for The Boss and instead had to settle for Rolling Stone's 53rd Greatest Artist of All Time.

Sheryl may best be known for her attempts to raise awareness for cancer and the environment, the latter being my personal academic passion. Not only has she made strides in reducing her carbon footprint, but also in 2007 she toured college campuses with the producer of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth to inform students about global warming. Although her idea of limiting our poops to one piece of toilet paper is utterly disgusting, I admire her drive and ability to think outside the box.

Sheryl was diagnosed with breast cancer in its early stage, which, according to her, is thanks to early detection. She underwent minimally invasive surgery. Early detection in many forms of cancer, not just of the breast, can save countless lives, and I wish more people would take care of themselves by going through with the recommended diagnostic testing as opposed to simply hoping (or assuming) they’re cancer-free. It would be nice if the government and insurance companies supported this idea, as later-stage cancer treatment costs so much more to both the individual and the economy than a mammogram.

Born on February 11, 1962, this soon-to-be forty-seven-year-old is a perfect fit for Miss February.