'The Guiding Light' Star Kim Zimmer Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Actress Kim Zimmer Announces Breast Cancer Diagnosis ... 'Guiding Light' Character Had Same Disease
Kim Zimmer -- a well-known soap opera star -- has breast cancer ... a shocking coincidence since her character on "The Guiding Light" suffered from the affliction.
The actress -- who played Reva Shayne on the show from 1983 to 1990 and then between 1995 an 2009 -- announced the news during "Daytime Stands Up: A Benefit for Stand Up To Cancer – We All Have a Story" Thursday ... saying she got the diagnosis late last year.
Check out the clip ... KZ says she's had a mastectomy and expects to have her last chemotherapy infusion later this month ... before cracking a joke about how happy she is with her new breast size and cutting straight through the tension.
Zimmer -- a four-time Daytime Emmy Award winner -- advocated for regular checkups and thanked her family for their ongoing support.
Like we said ... Kim's character Reva dealt with breast cancer on the show -- an odd coincidence some fans may recognize. She received the news during a 2006 episode, and the storyline played out over the next couple seasons.
In contrast to Kim's public acknowledgment of the disease, her character hid the news from everyone ... a move Zimmer said she couldn't imagine doing in real life, before adding it made for great TV drama.
Zimmer married her husband -- actor A.C. Weary -- back in 1981, and they have three kids together.
And, she's clearly leaning on their support while staying a positive inspiration to others.
