Overview

• In April 2009, Meis felt a lump that triggered a breast cancer diagnosis at age 31, which she likens to an "earthquake" in her life.
• She underwent tumor-removal surgery and supportive chemotherapy, losing her hair but surviving thanks to her insistence on the operation.
• Shortly after treatment, she braved Let’s Dance without a wig to show her short hair and later co-hosted the show from 2011 to 2017.
• The health crisis prompted her to question her identity beyond being a footballer’s wife and pursue independence in her media career.
• Meis says her former husband Rafael van der Vaart was a key source of support during her illness and they remain close friends today.