Ghanaian-British singer Stephanie Benson has opened up about the life-threatening complications she experienced after undergoing surgery to have both breasts removed following her cancer diagnosis.
Speaking in an interview on Hitz FM’s Daybreak Hitz, Stephanie Benson said the decision to undergo a double mastectomy was not easy, particularly because her left breast was affected and reconstruction presented several complications.
She revealed that she spent about 34 hours in and out of surgery and came close to losing her life during the difficult process.
“When I found out I had to remove both breasts, it wasn’t an easy process. I was in surgery for about 34 hours, and I almost died. It was a tough journey,” she said.
Stephanie further recounted a frightening incident after one of her surgeries, when fluid began building up in her chest and she struggled to breathe.
According to her, a Malaysian nurse who was nearby noticed that something had gone seriously wrong and immediately alerted the doctors, who had already left for the day.
“There was a Malaysian nurse sitting next to me. At that time, all the doctors had closed and had gone home. She noticed that something had gone wrong. It looked like I was going in and out of death. She called the doctors and started praying.
“She prayed for an hour until the doctor came, and they rushed me back and cleared the muscle from my stomach. They removed a bone from my chest. It was terrible,” she said.
“I was in surgery for about 34 hours to have my breast removed, and I almost died.” — @StephanieBLive #DaybreakHitz #Hitz1039FM #JoyDigital #HitzBeachRave https://t.co/NLKldCxyVY
— Hitz 103.9 FM (@Hitz1039FM) October 7, 2026
Stephanie said she considered herself fortunate to have survived the ordeal but remained optimistic throughout her recovery.
“I was very lucky to come out, but I was very optimistic. Two days later, I was getting up, going to the other ladies who had their breasts removed to put them up, be excited, because a lot of women were depressed and very sad that they had had their breasts removed,” she said.
The singer explained that having her children around during her recovery also strengthened her resolve to focus on life rather than mourn the loss of her breasts.
“I had my children in my room chatting. I just felt that God has given me a chance. I wasn’t going to be worried about my breast not being there. I was going to live. It’s much more important than grieving breasts. Holding onto breast killed my mother,” she said.
Stephanie said the experience has since shaped her mission to help women feel more comfortable with their bodies, particularly those battling cancer.
“So since then, my job has been to help women be more comfortable with their bodies, especially when they are going through cancers, and to make the decisions for themselves to stay alive for their children, not for somebody else,” she added.
