Nara Smith has opened up about one of the most painful aspects of her young daughter’s cancer battle after learning about Whimsy Lou’s condition late last year.
The model and cookbook creator, 24, first spoke about her daughter’s health on Instagram in early July, saying she and her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, 28, had chosen to keep the diagnosis private while they focused on treatment and family life. At the time, she did not disclose the specific type of cancer or share further medical details.
Since then, Smith has continued to share small, emotional glimpses of how the family is coping, including tender clips of Whimsy Lou with her father and moments from the child’s treatment journey.
In a post on Instagram, Smith shared several tender clips featuring Whimsy Lou and Lucky Blue Smith, accompanied by Noah Kahan’s song ‘Orbiter’.
Alongside the video, the model reflected on an unexpected part of the experience that has been especially difficult for her.
She wrote: “Cancer has a way of taking things you never realized you’d grieve.
“The day I ran my fingers through her hair, strands coating them, I realized I wouldn’t be brushing Whimsy’s hair much longer.
“It’s such a small thing, until it isn’t. Tiny curls on her pillow. Hair caught in my fingers after bath time. Hair loss is one of the first visible reminders that life has changed.”
Smith continued: “Watching Whimsy lose hers has been one of the hardest parts of this journey. It wasn’t just hair. It was the little curls I tucked behind her ears, the wispy strands that caught the sunlight, and all the ordinary moments I never imagined I’d miss.
“If sharing these pieces of our story helps even one family feel less alone, or encourages one person to learn more about childhood cancer, then this vulnerable part of our lives is worth opening.
“Today her curls are returning.”
Last week, Smith spoke candidly in an emotional video about the moment her daughter’s diagnosis began to unfold, saying the family noticed something suspicious and took Whimsy to the emergency room before being referred for more testing.
“When we saw something suspicious on her, we took her to the ER and they didn’t quite know what to make of it,” she told her followers.
The influencer added: “When we took her into our pediatrician, I just remember him going really quiet and calm, and 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.”
After that appointment, the couple were advised to bring Whimsy Lou to the nearest children’s hospital for additional testing.
There, following multiple X-rays, ultrasounds and a biopsy, doctors confirmed that she had cancer.
Smith said they were then told the disease had already spread, and their daughter began chemotherapy “immediately”.
In the days after sharing the diagnosis publicly, Smith posted a separate update that included Whimsy in a sparkly bedazzled head covering, describing her as a “little warrior girl.” The family has continued to keep most details of her treatment private, including the exact type of cancer and her current prognosis.
Smith and Lucky Blue Smith, who married in 2020, are also parents to Rumble Honey, Slim Easy and Fawnie Golden.