Inside 'Alaskan Bush People' Star Ami Brown's Scary Cancer Battle
Ami Brown, one of the stars of Discovery’s reality series Alaskan Bush People, just dealt with one of the hardest years of her life-and did so in the spotlight. The matriarch of the Brown family was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, and was given a slim chance of survival. Cameras were rolling as her family dealt with the bad news, but not all was lost: After months of grueling treatment, Ami was declared cancer-free.
The Browns will update fans on Ami’s progress in the new season of Alaskan Bush People, which premieres August 19. Here’s what fans need to know before tuning in.
It Started With Back Pain
Ami was filming Alaskan Bush People when she started feeling intense pain in her back, and had a hard time getting around. At first, she thought it was just arthritis, but a doctor’s scan found “a little capsule,” which turned out to be stage 3 lung cancer. "We were filming the show and at times it was all I could do to just stand there - I was in so much pain," she told People. "When we were shooting promo shots I told them, 'There's something wrong.'"
The Family Rallies Around Ami
Ami’s doctor recommended she go through 12 weeks of intense radiation and chemotherapy. The Brown family consulted Alaskan Bush People’s executive producer, who explained the options on the show.
Members of the family reacted on camera to the news, and how they are relying on each other for strength. “Things have been kind of turbulent, to tell you the truth,” son Matt said on Alaskan Bush People. “It’s kind of like the world has been shaken up. I’d say the hardest part for me is the same as the rest of the family: watching mom in pain.”
Hitting a Low Point
Ami went through grueling chemotherapy and radiation at a hospital far from home, in Southern California. Her family moved there to be with her. Her husband, Billy, revealed that at a certain point, Ami weighed just 77 pounds. “She was just a few pounds away from dying,” he told People. "She tries to hide it from everybody but four or five times a day she bends over like a baby and cries." At one point, she was given only a three percent chance of survival.
Miraculous News
Billy said he, Ami, and their family were “solemn” when they visited the doctor’s office, and had a plan to continue her treatment. So they were blindsided when the doctor told them Ami was cancer-free.
"It was hard for it to sink in for all of us. They had to pick us up off the floor," Billy told People. "It was like when we were told we were having a girl after five boys. It was like, 'Are you sure?' It was fantastic."
But Ami wasn’t in the clear just yet, because doctors still never found where her cancer originated. So she and her doctors have to stay vigilant, because there’s a chance her cancer could come back.
"I have to go in every three months now for the rest of my life and be scanned to see if it's back or not. It's going to be a part of my life forever," she told People. "But I want to encourage people to enjoy every moment and walk every moment with God because he knows what it's about. Never give up faith."
Moving Forward on a New Season
The new season of Alaskan Bush People premieres August 19, and a preview of the new season shows Ami reflecting on her health woes. “It’s almost like being born again and starting life a new,” she says in the clip. “The good Lord has given me a second chance.”
The Brown family will be shown pulling up roots and moving to a new property in Washington state. “We’ve gone through a lot of adversity. It was like everything was closing in on us, darkness all around and it was over,” Billy says. “Then, Washington came into view.”
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