Former ‘DWTS’ Pro Gives Health Update One Year After Cancer Diagnosis: ‘Life Is Fragile’

A former “Dancing With the Stars” pro is letting fans know how she’s doing since a cancer diagnosis rocked her world one year ago.

Edyta Sliwinska, who was one of the show’s original professional dancers, starred on the reality hit from 2005 to 2010, and returned for season 22 in 2016. Her best finish was in season 6, when she and NFL star Jason Taylor were the first runners-up.

In 2024, the 44-year-old was shared with the world that she had received a scary cancer diagnosis, per E! News. Now a year later, she’s opening up about her health journey and where things currently stand. Read on for details.

Edyta Sliwinska Said She’s Lucky to Be Alive In Emotional Update

The mom of two took to her Instagram page the week of August 13, 2025, to reveal how she’s doing a year after her cancer diagnosis. She began the emotional post by recalling the scary moment of her diagnosis. “Exactly a year ago, I woke up from a semi-conscious state, and a man in a blue coat looked at me and said something no one ever wants to hear: “It’s cancer.”

The reality star went on, “I didn’t know if I would live to see today. I didn’t know how long I had left, how serious it was, or how my life would change.” She called her surgical scar on her abdomen “a reminder that life is incredibly fragile.”

She then implored her fans to “appreciate it, live it like there’s no tomorrow, enjoy it, and take care of your health.” Sliwinska also called herself “the luckiest person on earth” to have survived. “Every breath I take is filled with gratitude and love for what truly matters in life,” she said.

The nonprofit director said today, she feels healthier than she ever has before after overhauling her diet, lifestyle, environment, and exercise routine. She now plans to share what she’s learned to hopefully helps fans avoid the same diagnosis, and said she hopes “no one ever delivers the news to you that I received on that hospital bed.”

She has never publicly revealed the type of cancer she had, but celebrated her newfound health by sharing a stunning bikini shot.

Edyta Sliwinska Shared Happy Family Moments After Beating Cancer

A day after her update post, the star shared an Instagram Carousel of several shots featuring her kids, whom People says she shared with husband Alec Mazo. In the caption, she called health “an underappreciated luxury,” saying “you only appreciate it when you lose it.”

She said she has since realized the unimportance of small things she used to worry about such as “an overloaded schedule” or “what someone said about me.”

The beauty also revealed “there was time I was chained to my bed surviving on painkillers,” before saying she now considers her busy schedule “a blessing.”

She finished her post by giving thanks for “all these amazing moments with friends and family,” saying that last year “all that was on my mind was cancer.’