Former finalist on Survivor: Palau, Jennifer “Jenn” Lyon, died Tuesday after battling breast cancer. She was 37.
“Jenn died at home in Oregon at 11:19 p.m. on Jan. 19. She had been battling breast cancer for the last five plus years,” Survivor: Vanautu and Survivor: Micronesia Fans vs. Favorite cast member Eliza Orlins told TVGuide.com. “She had beaten it into remission once, but then it came back and was in her bones.”
Jenn finished fourth place during the tenth season Survivor on CBS in 2005. Two months after the show ended she was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer.
That summer she had a modified, radical bilateral mastectomy, removing both breasts and 29 lymph nodes.
“The whole time she maintained a positive attitude. She was truly an amazing girl and I was lucky to know her,” Eliza said. “Even just last week when I saw her at the 10-year reunion, we were all laughing and she had her same glowing smile on her face.”
Despite her condition, Eliza said Jenn was actively involved in the fight against breast cancer.
In Lost Angeles she recently opened a Christmas tree lot in which 10 percent of its proceeds went to breast cancer research.
“She was an inspiration,”Eliza said. “Jenn brought more good to this world in her almost 38 years than most will in a lifetime.”
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