Kim Kardashian gives emotional speech at cancer charity gala

Kim Kardashian gave an emotional speech about the death of her father during a charity event in New York on Monday night (17Oct11).

The socialite's dad, Robert, passed away in 2003 aged 59 after losing a battle with oesophageal cancer, and she turned out for the Angel Ball in Manhattan to help raise funds for cancer research.

Kardashian took to the stage at the event and gave a heart-felt talk about losing her dad to the disease.

She told the crowd, "Not a day goes by when I don't think about him. I wish we knew a little more about the disease. My dad didn't really want to tell anyone he was sick. He wouldn't even tell his parents he was sick. He didn't tell them until like a week before he passed away. He was the kind of guy (who) never wanted to go to the doctor to see what was wrong, because he hated doctors - sorry, all the doctors out there."

The event raised more than $3 million for Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research, and feted British supermodel Naomi Campbell for her charity work.