On September 27 the beloved Downtown Abbey actress, Maggie Smith, passed away at the age of 89. Although no one specific cause of death has been shared, Smith was very open about the struggles she was having with her health leading to her death. She shared her diagnoses of Graves disease, breastcancer, and glaucoma in one eye.

During her 60 year career she amassed numerous awards and nominations including multiple Emmys, BAFTAs, and Golden Globe awards. She was born in Illford, England, and was raised in Oxford, England. Smith was just 17 years old when she first debuted on stage at a local theater as Viola in Shakespear’s “Twelfth Night.”A few years later, in 1956, she made her debut on Broadway where she played multiple roles in the show “New Faces.”

It was during her work on the Tony-nominated “Lettice and Lovage” that she was made aware that she had Graves’ disease, which is a disorder which causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland. Symptoms range from heart palpitations and tremors to irritability and discoloration of the skin.

The symptom which most troubled Smith was one which causes the eyes and face to become disfigured. She was able to follow-through with her yearlong contract despite the complications. When the play’s run was over she underwent radiation and surgery to correct the protrusion and puffiness of her eyes. It was incredibely difficult for her as her concerns about her appearance were piled on top of the pain she was experiencing.

Later, as she performed during the sixth installment of the Harry Potter franchise, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She felt sick and discouraged. She expressed that she was uncertain about the future, and knew there wasn’t much left ahead of her given her age. She went through chemotherapy and radiation confessing that the actual treatment and recovery process left her feeling worse than the cancer itself. After two years of treatment, the BBC reported Smith to be cancer free.

Maggie Smith faced a lot of adversity as far as her health was concerned and she powered through and continued to perform anyway. She fought long and hard, even if it got the better of her in the end, she died doing what she loved.