Famous Survivor: Robert De Niro

Born August 17, 1943 to artist parents, Robert De Niro is considered one of the finest actors of his time. At 17, after leaving a movie theater with a friend, he announced that he was going to be a film actor. No one believed him until he dropped out of high school his senior year and joined Stella Adler's acting school.

In 2003 at the age of 60, the two-time Academy Award winner (Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather, Part II and Best Actor for Raging Bull) De Niro was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The prognosis was good, according to his publicist, Stan Rosenfeld. "Doctors say the condition was detected at an early stage because of regular checkups. Because of the early detection and his excellent physical condition, doctors project a full recovery." De Niro's father, painter Robert De Niro, Sr. died of cancer in 1993 at the age of 71.

Considered fully recovered, De Niro is involved in his film production company, TriBeca Productions and the popular TriBeca Film Festival which he co-founded. He also co-owns several restaurancts located in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and his hometown of New York City. Additionally, he has continued to consistently act following his cancer remission.

Famous Survivor: Louise Hay

Louise L. Hay is one of the founders of the personal improvement movement and her book, "You Can Heal Your Life" has sold more than 35 million copies worldwide since first being published in 1984.

Hay's life did not start out so successfully. In her DVD, "You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie," Hay states that she was born in Los Angeles to a poor mother who married Louise's violent stepfather. When she was about five, she was raped by a neighbor. At 15 Hay dropped out of school without a diploma, became pregnant and, on her 16th birthday, gave up her newborn baby girl for adoption.

She moved to New York in 1950, changed her name, and began a successful fashion modeling career. She met and married English businessman Andrew Hay, but after 14 years of marriage was devastated when he left her for another woman.

Soon after the divorce, Hay stumbled upon the Church of Religious Science and began learning about the power of positive thoughts and affirmations. Following ministerial studies, Hay began traveling throughout the United States, lecturing and facilitating workshops on loving ourselves and healing our lives.

In the late seventies, Hay was able to put her philosophies into practice when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She considered the alternatives to surgery and drugs and instead developed an intensive program of affirmations, visualization, nutritional cleansing, and psychotherapy. Within six months, she was completely healed of cancer.

As of 2009, Hay is running her successful publishing company, Hay House, which includes such authors as Wayne Dyer, Joan Borysenko, Doreen Virtue, Abraham-Hicks, and Hay's own works. Additionally, she established two non-profit organizations: Hay Foundation and Louise L. Hay Charitable Fund. Both support many diverse organizations, including those dealing with AIDS, battered women, and other challenged individuals in society.

When she's not traveling, Louise enjoys painting, gardening, and dancing at her home in San Diego, California.

I would say that Hay has shown again and again that it's possible to thrive after adversity.