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T I M E S I t’s an unusual circumstance for there to be such a thing as an OB-GYN celebrity. But Dr. Jackie Walters’ break-out reality star status has changed that. On her stint on Bravo’s television show “Married to Medicine,” it becomes clear that Walters is the kind of friend that you like immediately. She’s funny, relatable, honest and no-nonsense. As a two-time cancer survivor, she added substantive information to the show as she dealt with pregnancy loss, infertility and the struggles of chemotherapy. In 2013, she formally launched 50 Shades of Pink Foundation to provide support for the mind, body, and spirit of what she refers to as, breast cancer warriors. The foundation accomplishes this mission by supporting patients’ psychological needs both during and after cancer treatment and working with the entire family affected by the diagnosis of the patient. With her personality, it was no surprise that she would be a stand- out cast member on the reality show even though she initially had no interest in being on the show when her best friend asked her to audition nearly eight years ago. “I was like no, never,” Walters remembers before she agreed to at least go to the audition. “I was like I’m boring they won’t call me back. They called me back and then I still said no.” Walters was finally convinced to do the show and found her openness on the show helped even more with getting her clients to open up to her at the doctor’s office. “I do good girlfriend conversations with my patients. I share most things with them,” Walters says. My struggles have given me strength. I have been able to use everything that has gone “They come from all over the country to me because they feel like I can relate to their story. I get to share my breast cancer story with women who are going through the journey.”
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