Dance Moms' alum Kelly Hyland is living out one of her "worst fears" just months after receiving a clean bill of health.
The mother-of-three sat down with E!News on Wednesday (May 29) to discuss her recent diagnosis, and to reveal how compliments regarding her weight prompted a visit to the hospital.
"The first red flag was my significant weight loss. I lost enough that others noticed and would ask for my dieting hacks, but there was nothing I had changed in my day-to-day to cause the loss." The former reality TV star received clean, routine mammogram results in July of 2023, but returned to the hospital eight months later after finding a lump in her breast.
After a second mammogram, sonogram, and biopsy, she was diagnosed with malignant "invasive carcinoma grade 3," categorized as a fast-moving form of breast cancer (per E!News).
"I went from clean results to a malignant mass in eight months. I was shocked that it had grown that quickly and scared of the battle I knew I was about to face." Hyland broke the news to daughters Brooke, 26, Paige, 23, and son Josh, 24, on a four-way phone call.
"I would've liked to have told them in person. but a phone call was the best I could do given the circumstances. I did a four-way call with all of my kids because I wanted to tell them at the same time and make sure they were all given the same information." Paige told E!News that she knew something was off before her mom even broke the news.
"I had an instant gut feeling something was off. As soon as she told us the bad news, I felt like I was in shock and then quickly hit with a whirlwind of emotions. Not only was I scared, I was angry, sad, and confused why this would happen to someone as amazing as my mother." Brooke mentioned that she had just watched her grandmother go through a similar cancer battle that was very long and challenging, but had faith that her mother's strength would carry her through.
"She is the strongest woman I know and I am confident that she will come out on top of this and I will be there every step of the way. She has so much love and support in her corner!"
Josh, though "speechless and scared," also chose to remain positive, sharing that he feels "very hopeful that it is only at stage one" and believes that his mom is "strong enough to get through this."
Kelly told E!News that her friends and former Dance Moms' co-stars, including partner-in-crime Chrisi Luaksiak, have been nothing but loving and supportive, though she hates "feeling like I am inconveniencing anyone or being a burden in anyway." The 53-year-old podcast co-host is on the second of six chemotherapy treatments as her family and friends continue to stand by her through each trial.