A Colorado mayor heartbrokenly revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer before declaring she was going to battle the disease and “kick its butt.”
Lauren Simpson, the Democratic mayor of Arvada, Colo., shared the shocking health update during Tuesday’s city council meeting.
“I have one final item on the public agenda that I need to share with you all,” Simpson said. “I wish I wasn’t, but I need to share with everybody now that over the holidays I was diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Simpson reassured residents that she was “going to be just fine” as her team caught it early and it hadn’t progressed past stage one.
The 42-year-old mayor, who was elected to office in 2023, said that she plans to undergo surgery on Monday and would temporarily relinquish the mayoral duties to the city’s Mayor Pro Tem Randy Moorman.
Simpson’s first order for Moorman, a councilmember representing District 1 in the city 10 miles northwest of Denver, was to deliver the upcoming State of the City address.
“I have full confidence that we will not miss a beat here in the city. This team is absolutely incredible. I have full faith in all of them. Everybody’s gonna do great,” Simpson said.
The fearless first-term mayor, who shares a daughter with her husband Steven, said she was determined to recover and quickly and return to city hall.
“In politics, we always say pick your battles, but sometimes the battles pick you,’ Simpson said. “I don’t know cancer knew who it was picking when it picked me, but best believe I’m going to kick its butt and I’m going to be back here with you all soon.”
Simpson, who previously served as a city councilmember, said she has received “universal support” from everyone who learned of her diagnosis.
“I just want to say, everybody, get your tests done. It’s really important, see your doctors and I’m going to kick cancer’s butt and I’ll see everybody in April,” Simpson closed out.
