Maria Menounos Reveals ‘So Many Things Have Changed’ In Her Life After She Battled A Brain Tumor (Exclusive)

TV personality Maria Menounos has many reasons to celebrate. On New Year’s Eve, the SiriusXM Radio host marked her first wedding anniversary with husband Keven Undergaro. She and her mother, Litsa Menounos, have also both battled brain tumors in the past are now looking forward to healthy years ahead.

“I realized that my health has to be first and that life is really short,” Maria, 40, exclusively told Closer Weekly in the magazine’s latest issue, on newsstands now. “So many things have changed — just my perspective on what I will and won’t do. I really want to pursue the things that I feel passionately about.” That includes motherhood, as Maria revealed “this is definitely the year” that she and Keven will have kids.

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“We kind of want to have twins and get it over with,” she said with a laugh, “but we’ll see.” Maria also reported that her mom is “doing amazing, thank God,” and that her own health is “great.” So is her attitude. “I’m trying to enjoy time with friends and family more,” she shared. “I was so career-oriented. It’s such a big deal to put away the phone. Now every day is just a blessing.”

In the past, Maria has said battling a brain tumor helped her put a lot of things into perspective. “Would you believe me if I told you that the brain tumor is the best thing that ever happened to me?” she said in a previous interview with Women’s Health. “It’s freed me from all of that anxiety of having to be perfect. You can’t control everything; leave it to God and just say, ‘Okay, this is my journey.'”

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Today, Maria is just taking life one day at a time and takes nothing for granted. “This whole thing has been such a gift,” she said. “This happened for a reason.”

For more on Maria Menounos, pick up the latest issue of Closer Weekly, on newsstands now — and be sure to sign up for our newsletter for more exclusive news!