Drag Race Star Maxi Shield Shares Cancer Diagnosis With Humour And Hope
One of the most beloved drag performers and RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under icon, Maxi Shield, has announced she is beginning cancer treatment. In a series of updates shared with her trademark honesty and wit, the Sydney queen is facing the challenge head-on.
It started with a health scare overseas.
The news follows a difficult few weeks for Maxi, who had to step down from her role in the Kath And Kim parody show, Fountain Lakes In Lockdown, during its run at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. What was initially thought to be a swollen gland requiring tests in Scotland was unfortunately confirmed to be more serious upon her return home.
Now, the fight begins.
In an Instagram video on Tuesday, Maxi shared the news directly with her fans and followers. “This little swollen thing on the side of my throat is a cancer,” she explained. She detailed that her medical team had a plan in place, which started that same afternoon. The treatment involves steroids to reduce the tumour’s size, followed by a three-week course of chemotherapy and then a seven-week combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
An outpouring of love from the community…
While the news is tough, Maxi remains optimistic, pointing to a positive prognosis. “It’s a little bit crazy, but there’s an 80 per cent chance that this is all going to be fantastic and I’m going to be high kicking and back flipping like I used to,” she said. The community has responded in kind, with fellow performer Jacqui St Hyde setting up a GoFundMe page that has already raised over $27,000 (as of this writing) to support Maxi during her treatment. Thomas Jaspers, the show’s creator, praised her professionalism, noting, “It’s such a shame she fell ill, because Maxi was smashing it.”
Never one to lose her sense of humour, Maxi has just one rule for the duration of her treatment.
“I’m not shaving my eyebrows or beard till this is all over,” she declared. “So if you see a hairy, tattooed man who’s balding on the top. Please say hello, because it’s probably me.”
Here at DNA, we send all our strength and love to Maxi. We know she’s got this.
