Cobie Smulders Pens An Emotional Essay About Having Ovarian Cancer At 25

Cobie Smulders is encouraging young women everywhere to be proactive about their health by sharing her own story.

The “How I Met Your Mother” actress talked about her experience with ovarian cancer in an emotional essay for Lenny Letter earlier this week. Smulders was only 25 when she was diagnosed, which is young for the condition.

“Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer or even known someone who has been diagnosed with cancer is aware of its total mental, physical and emotional possession,” she wrote. “Hell, even if you haven’t been closely affected, I’m sure you can easily conceptualize the thundercloud of shit that rains down on you.”

Smulders kept her health history hidden from the public for a while, but after she was asked to pose for the cover of Women’s Health in 2015 she decided to be candid about her journey. Specifically, how she learned to love and appreciate her body following difficult surgeries to remove the cancer.

“Since my article in Women’s Health came out, I have had so many conversations with women about their own battles with cancer, and it feels so empowering to open up this dialogue and learn from each other,” she explained in the Lenny Letter essay.