Brigid Murphy beams from her seat amid the comfortable colorful clutter of her Pilsen apartment. “What’s there not to be in good spirits about?” she asks. “I’m going to film school in the fall, I’ve got a scholarship, and I’m doing a show. There’s a lot to be thankful for and happy about.”
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Including beating cancer. For the past two years the producer and host of Milly’s Orchid Show has been fighting lymphoma. Murphy endured chemotherapy and brain radiation, enjoyed a short recovery, and suffered a relapse during which she underwent a bone marrow transplant and more chemotherapy. Her last treatment was in April, and Murphy says she feels well and considers herself cured.
It’s not really a comeback show, though. “It’s more of an “I’m alive and you guys were a big part of that’ show,” says Murphy. “It’s like a thank you show. My illness was really public. So it’s important to also close it publicly. I’m well now, and I want people to picture me in their minds as being healthy.”