Alana Stewart On Cancer Foundation, “Amazing” Daughter Kimberly Stewart

The Farrah Fawcett Foundation (FFF) recently collaborated with The Glamour Project to give women who are battling cancer a posh makeover. The president of FFF is Farrah’s longtime BFF, model-actress Alana Stewart, who says that her famous friends’s dying wish was “to further research in cutting edge and alternative treatments for cancer as well as promote awareness, early detection, and prevention.”

Alana opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about FFF and her 30-year friendship with Farrah, her daughter Kimberly Stewart who is a “full-time mother 24/7″ and her “strong-willed and stubborn” granddaughter Delilah. Alana goes on to talk about Benicio del Toro who “adores Delilah” and says that “he and Kim make all the major decisions about her together.”

CBS: Tell us about creating The Farrah Fawcett Foundation (FFF) that started during Farrah’s battle with cancer. Do you think Farrah would be honored and proud of the foundation?

AS: “Farrah created the foundation two years before her death. She wanted to further research in cutting edge and alternative treatments for cancer as well as promote awareness, early detection, and prevention.

She also wanted to help people suffering from cancer today. My goal as president is to uphold Farrah’s wishes and keep her memory and legacy alive. I think she would be proud of the foundations commitment to her vision and in the work we’ve done over the past several years.”

CBS: Tell us about Jose Eber and Jaclyn Smith partnering with FFF for “A Day of Beauty” at the City of Hope hospital. What is it all about?

AS: “Credit actually belongs to The Glamour Project for the event. Evelyn Shapiro, is one of the founders along with Kara Fox and they have been doing these makeover projects for some time mostly at homeless shelters. This was the first time they did it with women who were being treated for cancer.

Ms. Shapiro called me to ask if we might be able to help them with the makeup contributions. Jose Eber and Jaclyn Smith were already committed to the project. We arranged through our contacts at Armani Beauty and Senna Cosmetics for them to contribute a large portion of the makeup and the foundation covered the remainder.

It was a wonderful way of reaching out to help and support women going through difficult and debilitating cancer treatments. To see these women transform and ‘feel’ better even if on the outside was a great gift. Many tears were shed and family members were touched as well. It was an inspiring day and I think Farrah would be very happy to have her name attached to the event.”

CBS: What are some of your favorite memories of Farrah and your friendship together?

AS: “I have so many wonderful memories of the thirty years we were friends — family get togethers at Thanksgiving and Christmas over the years, girl friend time at the beach getting our nails done and reading fashion magazines, the many hours we spent on the phone talking about our lives, our children, everything imaginable.

We took a number of trips together and I particularly remember the last one to Texas to see her dad in Houston and then we went on to Nacogdoches to see my uncle. She was in the middle of her cancer treatment but was feeling better and we were like two girlfriends driving across Texas, stopping for barbeque and Texas fried chicken. No matter what we always found something to laugh about. Even in the toughest times during her battle with cancer, she still maintained her spirit and sense of humor.”

CBS: You recently published the book Rearview Mirror. What inspired you to write the memoir? Was it therapeutic?

AS: “Writing the book was very therapeutic and cathartic. But I also wrote it because I’ve been through a lot of difficult challenges in my life and I feel that by sharing them, maybe others who are experiencing similar challenges might take away something helpful. I’ve been at points in my life where I didn’t know how to go on and yet I had to find the inner strength to continue. In the end, it was through faith in God and my spiritual searching that I found my way through and have managed to end up with some sense of peace within.”

CBS: Congratulations on your granddaughter Delilah! How is she doing? What is she into?

AS: “I just spent most of the weekend with Kimberly, my daughter, helping her with Delilah. She’s been a full-time mother 24/7 and by the weekend she really needs Nana (that would be me!) to give her a break now and then.

Delilah is 14 months now and a barrel of energy. She’s just adorable and quite a little character. She’s very strong-willed, stubborn, and doesn’t like to take “no” for an answer. I guess you could say it runs in the family.”

CBS: When you first heard of Kimberly’s pregnancy, how did you react? Do you think motherhood has been transformative for her?

AS: “I was, of course, surprised when she told me, but totally supportive. She’s an amazing mother. As I said, she’s hands-on 24/7. I have great respect for her.”

CBS: Kimberly seems to be loving motherhood. How is she adjusting to being a single mom? Is Benicio around to help?

AS: “Benicio adores Delilah and he and Kim make all the major decisions about her together. Although being an actor, he’s away working a lot, he really makes an effort to be around as much as possible.”

CBS: What’s up next for you?

AS: “Now that the book is finished and the book tour is almost finished, I’m going to focus one hundred percent of my attention on the foundation. We’re hoping to do some exciting projects next year and it’s time to start planning them now. I’d also like to be part of a woman’s talk show that focuses on just women’s issues, a lot of which I talk about in Rearview Mirror. And I might even write another book – this time on inner and outer beauty.”

Follow Alana on Twitter @AlanaKStewart.