Influencer and cookbook author Nara Smith is opening up about her family’s private health journey, revealing that her 2-year-old daughter, Whimsy Lou, was diagnosed with cancer late last year.
Smith, 24, shared the news in an Instagram video on Wednesday, saying she and her husband, model Lucky Blue Smith, 28, first sought medical attention after noticing “something suspicious” on their daughter.
“When we saw something suspicious on her, we took her to the ER, and they didn’t quite know what to make of it,” Smith said. “So when we took her into our pediatrician, I just remember him going really quiet and calm … My heart dropped in that moment. I don’t know whether it was my gut telling me something or just a mom’s intuition, but the first thing that I felt was, ‘She has cancer.'”
Smith said Whimsy later underwent X-rays, ultrasounds and a biopsy before doctors confirmed her cancer diagnosis.
“After a lot of X-rays, ultrasounds, and finally a biopsy, they immediately called us and said that she had cancer,” she said. “[They] told us it had spread, and that she need[ed] to come and start chemo treatments immediately.”
Smith did not disclose what type of cancer her daughter has or provide an update on Whimsy’s current condition.
The social media creator said connecting with other parents and families facing similar experiences has helped ease the feeling of isolation she experienced following her daughter’s diagnosis.
Smith also shared that balancing her daughter’s treatment while caring for her children, recovering postpartum — her youngest child was born in September last year — and keeping up with work has been challenging.
In the video’s caption, Smith expressed gratitude for the doctors and nurses who cared for her daughter, writing that she is “thankful for each and every nurse and doctor along our journey who helped us get through and out the other end.”
Smith, who has more than 12.4 million followers on TikTok and 4.7 million on Instagram, is known for sharing cooking videos and family-focused lifestyle content.
Her debut cookbook, Homemade, is scheduled to be released in October.
ABC News has reached out to Smith’s representative for comment.
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