Nara Smith announces two-year-old daughter's tragic cancer diagnosis 'My heart dropped'
Social media star Nara Smith has announced that her two-year-old daughter Whimsy-Lou has been diagnosed with cancer. The influencer, who has 4.7 million followers, revealed the news in a video viewed by more than 25 million people across Instagram and TikTok.
Smith explained that she and her husband, model Lucky Blue Smith, noticed something suspicious and took their daughter to the emergency room. After being referred to a paediatrician for tests, they received the diagnosis. "After a lot of X-rays, ultrasounds and a biopsy they immediately called us and said she had cancer," Smith said. "They told us it had spread and that she needs to come and start chemo treatment immediately."
Whimsy-Lou was diagnosed late last year and has undergone chemotherapy. Describing the moment the paediatrician confirmed the diagnosis, Smith recalled: "When we saw something suspicious on her we took her to the ER and they didn't quite know what to make of it so when we took her into our paediatrician I just remember him going really quiet and calm and my heart dropped in that moment."
The 24-year-old mother of four said that processing the news has been extremely challenging, particularly while postpartum. "Navigating this while post-partum also loving and caring for our other kids at home and also being at the hospital with Whimsy a lot and balancing work on top of that has been really challenging," she explained.
Smith has received considerable support from fellow celebrities including singer Raye, who described her as her "beautiful superwoman friend." She has also found comfort connecting with other families on social media and in hospital forums.
The influencer, who rose to fame sharing parenting and traditional family content, said she hoped sharing her experience would provide comfort to others facing similar challenges. "I hope that by sharing this I can bring someone else a little bit of comfort and make you feel less alone in your journey," she said.