Dog the Bounty Hunter's Wife Beth Chapman Does Not Want Pity As She Fights Cancer
Dog the Bounty Hunter star Beth Chapman is determined to beat her stage two throat cancer — and she says that she won’t let the disease break her.
Talking to PEOPLE about her diagnosis and cancer journey, Beth 49, displays a determination to keep a positive attitude, despite her frightening diagnosis.
“I knew I couldn’t let it take me over,” Beth tells PEOPLE. “I had to keep moving, every day, moving forward. That’s all you can do when you get a diagnosis like this. So I take it each day at a time. And I’ll fight it with all that I have.”
The reality star and her husband, Duane “Dog” Chapman will take viewers with them as Beth goes through surgery and journeys toward recovery in Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives — and the early prognosis was terrifying. “As I start this battle, I don’t see a lot of optimism,” she says on the show. “They give me 50/50 chances.”
But one thing Beth does not want anyone to do: pity her. “I don’t need to be pitied,” she tells PEOPLE. “I didn’t surround myself with people who pity the situation. I wanted to be around people who helped me move forward. My friend Shannon Tweed pushed me every minute of every day, but she didn’t pity me.”
“People get scared when they get the diagnosis,” she continues. “I’m no different; of course I was scared. And then people go to Doctor Google, and it becomes an even more desperate situation. I didn’t want that. I had people around me who didn’t let me fall into darkness. They pulled me forward.”
One of the people who is pulling her forward is her husband. “I’m just so proud of her,” Dog tells PEOPLE. “She’s fighting this, she’s tough. You’ll see on the show how tough she is. I just want all our fans to say prayers. She’s fighting this, and I know she’s going to win. ”
“Cancer is a terrible, deadly disease that can take away your faith and your hope,” Beth says. “You’ve got to fight it like hell. You can’t let it overtake your body — but you also can’t let it overtake your brain and your spirit.”
The Chapmans are relying on their faith to help them through these difficult months. “I totally believe in the power of prayer,” says Beth. “I believe that what you confess with your mouth, you can make happen. You know, you can’t get a miracle unless you seek one.”
Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives premieres on November 27th at 9pm E.T. on A&E.
