Emily In Paris star Ashley Park has said it is a miracle she was able to take part in the show after her past battles with leukaemia and sepsis.
The 33-year-old actress has returned to screens as singer Mindy Chen for the fourth season of the Netflix hit as she navigates life in the French capital with her best friend Emily, played by Lily Collins.
But while her lovable character may live a relatively carefree life in Paris, in real life, Ashley had to endure some hardships as she battled two life-threatening illnesses.
In a new interview, Ashley reflects on her health struggles, recalling how overcoming illness made her stronger and more determined to achieve her goals.
She also credits her boyfriend Paul Forman for “saving her life” and notes that she wouldn’t be here without him.
Emily In Paris star Ashley Park has said it is a miracle she made it onto the show after her past battles with leukaemia and sepsis.
In a new interview, Ashley reflects on her health struggles and recalls how overcoming illness made her stronger and more determined to achieve her goals. She also credits her boyfriend Paul for “saving her life.”
Ashley was diagnosed with blood cancer as a teenager, however, it took her a while to get help because she initially believed her symptoms were “growing pains.”
Talking about My first time podcastShe said: “It’s crazy to be the woman I am now – it’s like coming full circle. I was diagnosed just before Christmas. I was dancing and doing loads of extra-curricular activities and was late to all my classes because I couldn’t get up the stairs on time. I had bruises all over and I’d lost so much weight. But everyone changes when you’re 15. I was like, ‘Great, I’ve had my growth spurt, I’m losing all the baby fat.'”
After ignoring the symptoms, Ashley finally visited her school pediatrician, where she had blood work done and was told to go to the emergency room immediately.
After arriving at the hospital, Ashley remained there for eight months while undergoing treatment, with the star losing her beloved hair in the process.
In the midst of her cancer treatment, Ashley was granted a wish by the Make A Wish Foundation, where she chose to travel to New York to see a Broadway show.
And it was there that she was inspired to pursue a career in musical theatre, with the actress determined not to let her illness define her and stop her from following her dreams.
She then regained her strength and managed to star as Millie Dillmount in her high school’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, with Ashley wearing wigs made from her own hair during her performance.
She shared: ‘Once I got out of the hospital, I decided, ‘I don’t want this to define me, and one day I’ll have long hair again and people will have no idea. ‘ But it’s something that has defined me, even though I didn’t want it to. I had the adult form of leukemia, which is more intense and spreads faster. But I see that as a blessing because instead of a three-year treatment protocol, it was really aggressive.
The actress, 33, has returned to screens as singer Mindy Chen for the fourth season of the Netflix hit as she navigates life in the French capital with her best friend Emily, played by Lily Collins (pictured).
While her lovable character may live a relatively carefree life in Paris, in real life, Ashley had to endure some tough hardships as she battled two life-threatening illnesses.
Ashley was diagnosed with blood cancer as a teenager, however, it took her a while to get help because she initially believed her symptoms were “growing pains.”
Ashley added that she never believed theatre was a “career possibility” for her, but after surviving cancer, her parents insisted she could do “whatever she wanted.”
However, after putting that health ordeal behind her and reviving her career thanks to her role on the Netflix show, Ashley suffered another setback when she contracted sepsis earlier this year.
Her illness occurred during a romantic holiday with her boyfriend and co-star Paul, who plays Nicolas de Leon, and Ashley was flown to Dubai for treatment, away from her friends and family.
The TV personality at the time shared footage of herself hooked up to wires in the hospital after suffering “critical septic shock” that “infected her organs,” with Paul lovingly by her side.
Ashley shared how important he was to her recovery: “I feel lucky, actually. It’s been kind of a miracle how I’ve recovered. I don’t think I would have made it without him. Everyone else was halfway around the world.”
However, after putting that health ordeal behind her and reviving her career thanks to her role on the Netflix show, Ashley suffered another setback when she contracted sepsis earlier this year.
Her illness occurred during a romantic holiday with her boyfriend and co-star Paul, who plays Nicolas de Leon, and Ashley was flown to Dubai for treatment.
Ashley shared how important it was to her recovery: “I feel lucky, actually. It’s been kind of a miracle how I’ve recovered. I don’t think I would have made it without it.”
At the time, Ashley opened up about her struggles with her 2.8 million Instagram followers as she shared stunning photos from her hospital bed.
She wrote: ‘As I sit here processing and recovering from the first few weeks of 2024, the only word I can think of is gratitude.
‘While on vacation between December and New Year’s, what started as tonsillitis turned into critical septic shock, infecting and affecting several of my organs. I am grateful that my health has improved despite what we had been initially told.’