“Real Housewives of Orange County” alum Jeana Keough was diagnosed with tongue cancer, her daughter, Kara, revealed.
“A few months ago, while visiting Shane and me in Florida, my mom mentioned a painful spot on her tongue,” Kara, 37, wrote via a GoFundMe dedicated to paying for the TV personality’s treatment.
“She assumed a tooth had been rubbing against it and had even gone to the dentist multiple times to have the tooth filed down.”
When Kara asked Keough, 70, how long the sore had been on her tongue, the latter “paused, thought about it, and realized it had been nearly a year.”
“A biopsy confirmed our worst fear: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue,” she wrote, explaining that the reality star has since undergone two surgeries, one to remove the cancer and another to “remove lymph nodes.”
However, after the second surgery, doctors noticed that the cancer had spread.
“What we thought would be a one-time surgery became a full cancer battle,” Kara added. “Jeana is now in her fifth week of chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.”
“The treatments are relentless. 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. Every day is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration to continue treatment.”
Kara explained the Bravo alum has been unable to work her commission-based job and has lost a massive amount of income.
Kara explained that she and her partner, Shane, feel helpless, being unable to assist Keough, as they live across the country with three young children.
“We’ve often wished we could simply be there to help with the everyday things that become overwhelming during cancer treatment,” she continued, sharing that she is currently visiting Keough in Orange County and is “seeing firsthand what she’s facing.”
“I realize even more how much support she needs—not just while I’m here, but after I return home,” Kara wrote. “My brothers and I want to help make sure Mom feels cared for, loved, and supported throughout this fight.”
Kara told readers that the funds would go towards Keough’s “expenses, everyday living costs, nutrition, and the additional support she needs while undergoing treatment.”
As of Sunday morning PST, $4,700 out of $22,000 had been raised.
Keough was an original member of the “RHOC” cast, and stayed on the series for five seasons, spanning from 2006 to 2010.