Nara Smith has opened up about how her two-year-old daughter Whimsy’s cancer diagnosis last year continues to affect their family.
The 24-year-old previously shared the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post, explaining that her daughter had been diagnosed with cancer. While she did not disclose the specific type, she confirmed that Whimsy is now in remission.
Smith first revealed the diagnosis on July 1, saying the family had “late last year” taken Whimsy to the hospital after noticing something concerning. She later said the experience was part of why she decided to speak publicly, hoping to help other parents who may be facing similar uncertainty.
Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, she revealed that keeping her daughter’s diagnosis and treatment private had been emotionally difficult for the family.
She said she and her husband, Lucky, were especially concerned someone might spot them at the hospital and start speculating about why they were there, potentially exposing their daughter’s private medical situation.
“Lucky and I did have those conversations and my fear – I always had this like lingering fear,” she confided to Cooper. “Well, what if someone takes a video of us in the hospital and they put it out or – cuz when we were in the hospital, people would come up to us and say, ‘hey, can I get a picture with you? Can like can you say hi to my friend?’ and they probably didn’t know that we were going through the hardest time of our lives. So, obviously, I smiled and said, ‘Of course you can,’ and took the picture, but I was always nervous that people would kind of piece it together or someone would talk or someone would whatever.”
Smith said her daughter’s wellbeing and privacy remained the top priority, which is why she struggled with whether to share the diagnosis publicly or keep it within the family.
At the same time, she discovered while spending time in the hospital that having a sense of community helped her feel less isolated and gave her comfort through hearing from others in similar situations.
That experience ultimately influenced the family’s decision to speak out once Whimsy’s treatment had come to an end. Smith said Whimsy rang the bell after her last treatment and was in remission shortly after her birthday, which made the milestone especially emotional for the family.
Nara said: “So, then when she – right after her birthday, she was in remission, we finished her last treatment, we rang the bell, it was very emotional and I just realized, well, maybe if I use my platform to make even just one person feel less alone, I can do that.”
Her honest post about her daughter’s health came as a surprise to many followers, who had not realized the extent of what Nara and Lucky had been enduring in private.
Messages of support quickly appeared in the comments, including one that said: “Praying for your baby girl and your entire family as you navigate this. Thank you for still thinking about helping others.”
Another wrote: “Oh Nara you’ve gone through so much. Handled this so gracefully all whilst being pp. sending you so much love and strength to all of you,”