The Golden Bachelor season 1 aired in the fall of 2023, Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist got engaged, got married, and then got divorced. They’ve both moved on from this sad and memorable experience, and that’s all there is to the story, right?
Well, Gerry shared some tragic news about his health in an interview with People. He said,
“As Theresa and I were trying very hard to find our lifestyle and where we were going to live and how we were going to make our life work, I was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer.”
This news comes after viewers heard that the pair couldn’t choose where to live, along with some potentially sketchy things about Gerry’s dating and professional lives. But let’s forget about all that, because it’s beyond terrible to hear about Gerry’s health condition. Gerry explained that he and Theresa were attempting to blend their lives when his whole world changed. He said “there’s no cure for it” and “that weighs heavily in every decision I make.” He also said that although viewers might have assumed he made a fast choice to not marry Theresa after all, he was thinking about his prognosis. He thought he and Theresa could make their relationship work. However, “it became less of a priority.”
Sweet Theresa responded to Gerry’s admission with all the compassion fans would expect from her. She told People he let her know what was going on when she went to see him in Indiana in March 2024. She said his cancer wasn’t the reason they got divorced, “at least not for me.”
Gerry’s story is devastating and all too familiar for those who have been diagnosed with cancer or who have had friends or family who have been affected. After he thought he had hurt his shoulder, the orthopedic surgeon noticed something was off with his blood markers. Gerry was then diagnosed with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, which is a bone marrow cancer. He talked about being in “denial” which is relatable for anyone who receives news that is challenging to process. It can be hard to tell yourself what’s going on, and when you say the words out loud, it becomes more real.
It’s awful to imagine how Gerry must have felt when he was enjoying his time with Theresa and busy combining their two worlds… and then found out that he has cancer. Like Theresa, Gerry has been through more than enough, including losing his first wife Toni after they had been married for 43 years. He told The Hollywood Reporter he wanted to have love in his life again. It’s understandable that learning that he has a cancer that can’t be cured would make him pause.
Gerry explained to People that he’s focused on being “as normal as possible” and that he doesn’t want to regret anything. He wants to be with his family, including his daughters and grandkids. Although Gerry hasn’t shared the way that the cancer has affected his body, it’s possible that people who suffer from this type of cancer have bruises, get infected, and are also anemic. People could also have lymph nodes that swell up, lose weight, sweat while sleeping, vision loss or vision that becomes blurry, a hard time eating, fever, and exhaustion.
No one should have to face what Gerry is, Golden Bachelor, regular Bachelor, or otherwise. He has an optimistic and sunny attitude, which is inspiring, but that of course doesn’t take away from this devastating situation.
Published: Dec 11, 2024 05:38 pm