Each October, millions of Americans wear pink and raise money to fund research in hopes of getting one step closer to curing breast cancer. But underneath the pink ribbons, shoes, and T-shirts are people who are still grieving over the loss of a loved one taken by the vicious disease.
This is true for Lady Gaga, who penned a series of emotional tributes to her late best friend Sonja Durham over the weekend in honor of what would have been her 42nd birthday, PopSugar reports.
"Happy Birthday to my late best friend @sonjad7777 Sonja Durham Dubois. #breastcancerawareness month is so important," she captioned a drawing of Dubois. "Share your stories of survival and treatment plans with each other. Everyone’s cancer is different. But the More we talk and share the more we learn. I have no words for you girl, just tears and dreams. & I know you’re running Haus of Gaga from Heaven."
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Durham passed away in May after being diagnosed with breast, brain, and lung cancer. She managed Haus of Gaga for years, and just months prior to her passing, she married her husband, Andre Dubois. Gaga remembered Durham's beautiful day with the sweet photo below.
According to Mother Monster, Durham possessed "unfathomable courage, strength, and positivity," despite the struggles she endured. It was those qualities that inspired Gaga to write "Grigio Girls," a song about how Durham helped the then 23-year-old singer discover her true potential.
To honor Durham's life and legacy, Gaga and her boyfriend, Christian Carino, dressed up and handed out pink candies to highlight the importance of breast cancer awareness month.
"After rollin around on the couch feeling sad with the help of some of my #grigiogirls and a very special someone I managed to dress up and feel better in a beautiful pink sequined dress generously gifted to me from @oscardelarenta," Gaga captioned one post. "Sonja would want us to celebrate her Birthday. So we are. Dressed in Pink and handing out pink chocolate kisses for #breastcancerawareness."
If you would like to learn more about breast cancer, here's a list of common myths and facts.