Shannen Doherty saw her oncologist, Dr. Lawrence D. Piro, not only as her trusted physician and expert in her illness - breast cancer diagnosed in 2015, but also as a close friend. Piro accompanied Doherty in her final hours and has recounted to Peope magazine how the actress's last moments were, who passed away at her home last Saturday at the age of 53.
"In the final hours, she was in a place where she was very comfortable sleeping, and was surrounded by her closest friends, as well as her dog Bowie. The room was surrounded by a select group of friends who provided her with a lot of care and support. It was somber and sad, but beautiful and loving. The hardest part of this was that she wasn't ready to go because she loved life," the doctor explained.
Lawrence D. Piro says it was different to see Doherty's house in that environment, as he was used to attending incredible dinners that the actress hosted.
"She was an incredible, incredible chef. It was very strange to be in her house with her in a bed and not in the kitchen making pizzas and cooking pasta. She loved to cook, she loved to throw parties. She loved to entertain. What pulled her was the love for life and the desire to have more life. It was incredibly painful for her not to be able to do that," the oncologist stated.
"This tremendous love for life was inspired by the love for people and the love of being loved. I believe that arose from being in the public eye from a very young age and feeling misunderstood most of her life. She would want us to live our lives as strongly as possible, committed to our convictions and not allow others to label or misrepresent us and prevent us from living our best life," Piro mentioned.
Doherty explained at one point in an Instagram post the importance of finding a doctor who listened to and valued her concerns as a patient, highlighting her persistence in finding the right team for her. According to Piro, they both felt an immediate and deep connection from their first meeting, maintaining that harmony until the end.
The actress from series like Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, achieved remission in 2017, but the cancer returned in 2019. Since 2020, she had been battling stage 4 cancer with metastasis spreading to her bones.
"We kept going until we couldn't anymore. In the last conversation we had, she was in the process of realizing that things had taken a quite significant turn. The conversation was about love, support, affection, and continuing to fight. She wanted to keep receiving treatment and fight, even though her physical condition had worsened a bit. And so we did," Piro declared in the aforementioned interview.
The doctor remembers the actress as someone interested in her medical treatment, always keen on new findings and therapeutic approaches. He always found it admirable that she remained constantly researching to discover new treatments, even when her health was declining.
Despite her unfavorable prognosis and deteriorating health, Doherty always displayed a determined and positive attitude, focusing on living fully.
The deceased actress was immersed in a long divorce process with her ex-partner Kurt Iswarienko, but not even that would have defeated her. "I never had the feeling that this emotional challenge was draining her ability to keep fighting on the medical front," the oncologist said.