ONTD

Jennifer Lyon, who came in 4th place on the 10th season of Survivor (Palau), has just passed away. She was 37.

Jenn was first diagnosed with breast cancer 2 months after Palau finished airing. She had chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, however 2 years ago her cancer came back in the bones.

R.i.P. Jenn Lyon. A most shocking and undeserved first death in the Survivor family - your strength and beauty will always be remembered.

Sources: http://survivorsucks.com/topic/63967 - all material found here is courtesy of this thread, Coby Archa's Facebook




Jenn had been told she had 3 weeks to live on the night this picture was taken.



Jenn was recently interviewed last Christmas, where she sold Christmas trees with her boyfriend to raise awareness for breast cancer.



Jenn moments from her season.

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ETA: I found this article on Jenn's breast cancer situation back in 2005. I think it'd be good to share.

Jenn Lyon had it all – beauty and reality-TV fame as a competitor on Survivor: Palau. Now, the 33-year-old tells PEOPLE about breast cancer – and why for her reconstructive surgery was the first step to feeling better

In the summer of 2004, I felt something in my right breast that didn't feel normal. They always describe cancer in terms of a pea, right? Well, this was more like several rocks strung together. I thought it was probably scar tissue related to my breast implants. So I let it go—for a long time.

I got my saline implants six years ago. It was just something in my head that I thought I needed to do for self-esteem, to balance myself out. Before, I was a large A-cup, and the implants changed me to a small C-cup.

At the time I noticed the lumps I didn't have insurance, which was a big part of why I didn't get it checked immediately. I went on the Internet and thought, "It is scar tissue. No big deal." But a year later, I felt another lump right in the center of the breast and something in my right armpit. I saw a surgeon who said, "I'm pretty sure you have breast cancer." After a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy, it was confirmed—stage III.

I opted to get a modified, radical bilateral mastectomy on Aug. 29 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. A surgeon removed both my breasts and 29 lymph nodes.

After my mastectomy, a plastic surgeon put in "spacers" to expand my chest muscles to make room for the new implants—smaller silicone implants this time. A second operation Oct. 5 completed the process. My new implants have been a huge boost to my spirit.

In a week or so, I start a four- to six-month course of chemotherapy, followed by tamoxifen, a drug designed to prevent a recurrence. My doctor has warned me I may stop having my period and go into early menopause. That’s tough because I haven't had kids yet.

Being on Survivor has helped in every sense of the word. My doctor told me, "You have beautiful hair, and you’re going to lose it." But Coby Archa, the Texas hairdresser who was in my Survivor tribe, says he's going to shave my head for me—and shave his too. Survivor taught me there’s an end in sight. As hard as it is, it will be over, and you have to appreciate every day.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1118164,00.html

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More updates:

User gustheduckie  has very kindly shared a video about Jenn discussing her cancer battle.



The host of the show Jeff Probst also had some words regarding Jenn's death:

As Survivor's 20th season approaches, one of the series' stars, Jennifer Lyon, who placed fourth in the Palau season, lost her battle with stage-tbree breast cancer Tuesday at age 37. Survivor host Jeff Probst developed an instantaneous connection with Lyon, and with contributions from Lyon's family, he shared this story about their friendship:

"Jenn and I got reconnected a couple of years ago and became very close, very fast. She shared with me the highs and the lows and the constant choices she and her family faced regarding her treatment.

"When you cut tbrough the social barriers that so often hamper us, it's amazing how quickly you can become close with someone. Jenn made it very easy. She didn't have any interest in wasting time.

"Because the previous Cbristmas had been so rough, this year she decided to open a Cbristmas tree lot so she could extend the holidays for as long as possible. Then in typical Jenn fashion she made the decision to donate profits to the Susan Love Cancer Research Foundation. The tree lot was a major undertaking yet there she was every day doing her part to try to raise money to make sure nobody else had to ever endure the same struggle."

Kim Lyon: 'Jenn worked so hard on the lot and they were kind of bummed they didn't make much money off of it so if anyone wants to honor Jenn they can make a donation to the foundation. She would be touched.'

Probst: "Over the past several weeks we had some beautiful talks about life and death. Jenn was so willing to share what she was feeling, including the very real and very scary parts of dealing with terminal cancer.

"Jenn was blessed with a fantastic family. Her sister, her brother and her parents were loving, positive and incredibly supportive of her needs. Her family provided a safe place where she could simply be a daughter or a sister and not have to worry about the expectations of others. It was funny to witness her switch from being a spiritual mentor to playing the role of a daughter where she felt safe enough to simply say 'no' to her mom's suggestion of a hot cup of soup. There really is no substitute for a loving family. Nothing else can compare.

"Texting back and forth became a great way for Jenn to stay in touch with all of her friends. No matter where she was or how she was feeling she could reach out and stay connected via technology. Her phone was constantly beeping with new messages including many from Ethan Zohn.

"I think Ethan and Jenn became strong allies for each other as they both battled their cancer. Ethan was there for Jenn at times when she really needed to talk to someone who could understand the struggle on a level the rest of us just couldn't. Ethan is such a strong willed and inspiring person, their friendship offered a lot of comfort to Jenn.

"Her wisdom about how to live a life with quality seemed to grow with each passing day. I am so grateful she chose to share so much with me. I used to kid Jenn, asking her 'where was all of this insight when you were on Survivor!'

"The Survivor reunion party offered Jenn a great chance to reconnect with so many people from the Survivor family. It was a great night and even though the party was crazy, we arranged a back room, away from the madness, where Jenn could hang out and talk with friends. She looked absolutely stunning that night. Certainly a lot of that is because Jenn was always a beautiful woman, but there was a spirit inside her that night that was palpable. It was clear to me that she knew this was a goodbye."

Kim Lyon: 'Jenn would rather go to a Survivor party than anything else. No matter how bad she was feeling. She could always rally for that kind of a celebration.'

Probst: "Jenn's family arranged a beautiful spot on the Hood River in Oregon where Jenn could enjoy some peace in a lovely surrounding. She relocated there last week. There's a great photo of Jenn walking near the water and she looks so relaxed and at peace. It was definitely the right call.

"The night she finally passed, I had the most amazing connection with Jenn. I was in my home in Los Angeles listening to a CD of music I had given Jenn. I texted her sister Kim and asked her to play the music for Jenn. As I sat there on my couch thousands of miles away, I could feel Jenn holding my hand. Even thinking of it now brings it right back. A few minutes later Kim texted back saying, 'We've already been playing it, but Jenn has stopped responding to us.' I wrote back, 'But she hears it. I've been holding her hand all night.'

"As the night continued Kim was kind enough to send me updates. It was this amazing fusion of spirit and technology. The power of human energy was connecting me to Jenn on a spiritual level and the power of technology was keeping me updated on her journey. If we could find a way to harness this for greater good we could change the entire world.

"The last text came at 11:10 pm when Kim wrote simply, 'Jenn died.'

"Jenn did such a good job of showing me how to love someone who is dying that it is surprisingly easy to talk about her passing. I feel there is great knowledge she wanted to share with others about how to deal with someone who is dying.

"Tbroughout her battle with cancer, friends would often encourage her to 'Fight harder. Stay positive.' It's a well-intentioned gesture but as I learned tbrough Jenn, it's not always the right one. Near the end, Jenn worried that some people may think she gave up and didn't fight hard enough. We talked a lot about the idea that death is such a hard subject and so many of us simply don't know what is appropriate to say so we end up saying the wrong thing for all the right reasons.

"If I learned anything from Jenn it is this: Don't be afraid to ask someone how they are truly feeling about dying. Don't shy away from the scary parts of death. They need someone to talk to about what is going on inside their head. Most importantly, encourage them to let go of the expectations of others and give them permission to do what is right for them, even if it means letting go."

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He also sent this to all Survivor alumni:

To The Survivor Family:

As most of you already know, our beautiful family member Jenn Lyon passed away on Jan. 19th, 2010 at 11:10 pm/PST.

It was a peaceful continuation of her journey as she was in Oregon , a place she loved, surrounded by people who loved her deeply.

I was fortunate enough to spend some real quality time with Jenn and I can tell you she appreciated everybody who reached out to her in any way.

Her sister Kim said that the Survivor reunion party was such a thrill for Jenn. Even though she was feeling pretty rough, she could always rally for a Survivor party. For those of you that saw her that night, she was stunning. There was a spirit inside her that was radiating love all night.

Regardless whether Jenn was in your life, you guys all share a very unique experience. It's an experience that has been shared second-hand via television with millions of people in over 100 countries all over the world, but only 301 of you have actually experienced it first hand. For that reason alone, you are all a family.

Jenn has an amazing spirit that will live on with any of us who welcome it into our lives.

If anybody wants to make a donation in Jenn's honor the family requests that you send it to the Susan Love Cancer Research Center.

Jeff