The Top Chef Family Shows Support to Chef Fatima Ali During Her Cancer Battle
Cheftestants praised the Season 15 chef for "kicking cancer's ass!!!"
Top Chef Season 15 contestant Fatima Ali's recovery is well under way after she had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in her left shoulder last week. The cheftestant first gave fans an update on Instagram on Friday, January 19, sharing that she was slowly regaining her appetite and enjoying "a ton of delicious food" that her friend sent from New York City's Boulud Sud.
Fatima's fellow Season 15 cheftestants Bruce Kalman and Tyler Anderson also came by the hospital to spread some cheer during her recovery. "Look who came to visit! These two handsome devils stopped by today and we had a great laugh," Fatima shared on Instagram. "Top Chef is so much more than a competition show-these wonderful people are my friends for life."
Bruce also praised Fatima on Instagram for "kicking cancer's ass!!!" Tyler shared that he was happy to see Fatima remain so strong during this difficult time. "My family has been so deeply affected by cancer," he wrote on Instagram. "It is amazing to see my good friend beating cancer's ass, you are an inspiration @cheffati."
Padma Lakshmi, who was with Fatima in the hospital right before she went in for surgery, recently visited the cheftestant in the hospital. "Coming along fine @cheffati (and thank you again to everyone for all your prayers and good wishes)," Padma shared on Instagram.
Fatima was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a bone and soft tissue cancer, last fall. She opened up to The Daily Dish about her battle with cancer and how all of the support from the Top Chef family has made such a difference last December. "All of the contestants have reached out in many ways; we are a tight group. I’ve had an outpouring of lovely messages and care packages from the production team and the producers," Fatima shared. "And Padma has been wonderful. We've caught up over lunch, and she has come to sit with me during my chemo treatments to keep me company. I'm pretty thankful for my Top Chef fam."
See more of the Top Chef crew, below.
