SerpApi.Org
“Even now, in the middle of one of the most painful and vulnerable seasons of her life, she’s still finding ways to lift everyone else up,” Jeana’s kids wrote on social media
NEED TO KNOW
- Jeana Keough’s kids, Kara and Shane, revealed that the Real Housewives of Orange County alum has been diagnosed with tongue cancer
- “She is exhausted, struggling to stay awake, and becoming malnourished because the pain in her tongue and throat makes swallowing even the smallest bites or sips incredibly difficult,” her daughter explained
- Jeana’s fellow RHOC alum Vicki Gunvalson joined dozens of others in donating funds to make sure that Jeana “feels cared for, loved and supported throughout this fight”
Jeana Keough’s kids are supporting the reality star after she was diagnosed with tongue cancer.
On Sunday, July 19, the Real Housewives of Orange County alum’s two older children — Kara, 37, and Shane, 39 — revealed that Jeana, 70, has been “in the middle of one of the most painful and vulnerable seasons of her life.” (Jeana also shares 34-year-old son Colton with her late husband, Matt Keough.)
“Everyone who knows her knows this: she’s almost impossibly optimistic in the face of terrifying things — wildfires, cancer, uncertainty,” the siblings wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of their mom sitting on the couch. “Yet somehow she’s always been afraid of the simplest thing: being vulnerable enough to ask for help.”
In a GoFundMe created to help cover her mother’s medical expenses, Kara explained that Jeana was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue after she noticed a painful spot on her tongue and decided to get a biopsy.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“After surgery to remove the cancer, we were hopeful that the hardest part was behind her,” Kara wrote. “But when doctors recommended a second surgery to remove lymph nodes, they discovered the cancer had spread.”
With Jeana now approaching her fifth week of chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy, her daughter went on to emphasize how “relentless” her mom’s cancer treatments have been.
“She is exhausted, struggling to stay awake, and becoming malnourished because the pain in her tongue and throat makes swallowing even the smallest bites or sips incredibly difficult,” Kara explained. “Every day is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration to continue treatment.”
Since Jeana has been “unable to work” amid the “overwhelming” cancer treatments, her fellow RHOC alum Vicki Gunvalson joined dozens of others in donating funds to make sure that Jeana “feels cared for, loved and supported throughout this fight.”
This isn’t the first time that Gunvalson, 64, has stepped up to support Jeana and her family during difficult times. When Kara lost her son during childbirth in April 2020, Gunvalson did everything she could to make sure the family could be together amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She said, ‘I don’t want to lose you and the baby. So you’re not flying here until we know for sure it’s safe,’ ” Jeana recalled her daughter saying while speaking to Us Weekly in May 2021. “So Vicki said, ‘Get your bags packed. I’m picking you up. We’re driving to Florida.’ ”
Read the original article on People
