The sad rumor turned into an unfortunate reality on Wednesday night.
Following weeks of chatter heading into the final season of Alaskan Bush People, the latest installment of this popular Discovery Channel series confirmed the truth about star Ami Brown…
… she has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
“Ami started getting sick months ago and we didn’t know what it was, but it changed from the point of ‘something’s wrong’ to ‘something’s wrong,’” Ami’s husband, Billy, told the camera on this week’s episode.
In previews for Season 7 of the show – which centers on a family who has basically cut itself off from civilization and who lives off the land in Alaska – there were hints that Brown was ill.
There’s been talk that she was even flown to Los Angeles for treatment.
This is what really got folks talking, considering how rarely members of the Browns visit the lower United States.
The final set of Alaskan Bush People episodes started filming three months ago.
They premiered last Wednesday with a focus on Ami undergoing a biopsy after a number of scans revealed a disturbing mass in her lungs.
“Everybody, of course, knows that it will come out good – so we just have to be strong,” said 22-year old daughter Bird last night, trying to remain optimistic as she and her siblings awaited test results.
Later on, however, 30-year old Bear went over to a car with a flower for his mom… and noted right away that the news was not positive.
His brother, Matt, agreed. He felt the same way.
“Seeing mom and dad get out of the car I … kind of already get a feeling that it hasn’t gone too well,” he said, adding:
“In one way, I can say that everything in my life has prepared me for this moment. In another way, nothing can.”
In the end, it was left to Billy to confirm the family’s worst fears.
“Not good. Not good at all,” he told his kids of the exam outcome, explaining as follows:
“They’ve got to do some more tests and stuff and what they can see is stage 3 cancer. She could easily be stage 4.”
Stage four is the most serious level for a cancer.
It typically means the patient does not have a lot of time left.
“I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what you’ve been through. I don’t care how old you are. If you hear that your mother has cancer, it’s going to shock you,” said Rain, 14, the youngest of the seven Brown children.
“I just wish I could change it somehow. I’m very scared for her,” she added.
For Ami, meanwhile, the fear of what will happen to her appeared to be less cumbersome than her concern over the impact this will have on her loved ones.
“She doesn’t want to be a burden on someone,” Billy said of his wife. “That’s not Ami. Ami is to take the burden away and take care of everything, but she has to admit to herself that she can’t be that right now.
“It’s just time for us to pay it back to her right now, it’s all I think we can do.”
To conclude this recap of the latest Alaskan Bush People episode, we’ll leave you with a few words from Ami.
Bill and the kids are very loving and supportive. They’re all worried. I tell them, don’t worry. Please don’t worry. Be happy … keep the faith. Good or bad, it’s God’s will and we’ll walk that road.
There’s a lot for the kids to experience. I want to be there. I want to hold their babies. I want to hear them laughing …
I want to see their eyes wide with enthusiasm as they experience these new things.
We’ll continue to tune in each Wednesday night at 9/8c to Discovery and hope that things turn around for Ami.
“This is not the end of the road,” said 27-year old son, keeping a hopeful viewpoint and concluding:
“It looks like it’s going to be the beginning of maybe a very long, very hard road for everybody.
“But we’re just going to have to be stronger than ever and keep up the faith in the good Lord and make it through this.”