T-Boz shares her battle with brain tumor

90′s girl-group TLC saw success throughout the 90′s and early-00′s, until problems with their management, inter-group disagreements, and the untimely death of Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopez, broke the group apart. TLC tried valiantly to get the group back together with a fleeting UPN reality series called “R U the Girl?” which was supposed to find a replacement for former member Lopez.

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During the entire career of TLC, very few people –outside of fans– knew of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins’ battle with a life-threatening illness, specifically, Sickle Cell Anemia. She overcame doctors’ predictions which included she would never have a child (she did), and that she wouldn’t live past 30 years old (she’s 39).

It was her most recent battle that stunned morning show viewers. Tionne had been battling a benign, but possibly devastating, brain tumor that could have left her severely impaired.

T-Boz shared her story with Harry Smith on CBS’s Early Show, and how her experience with Sickle Cell Anemia made her more proactive about her health and treatment.

An inspiring story, and one that all women –especially African American women– should hear. When it comes to your health, know who really cares about your recovery, and who’s just treating you like a statistic. Another lesson is to be an informed patient. Watch her interview and find out more on The Early Show.