The Shemwell Family
- TLC’s The Blended Bunch features the Shemwell family, a couple with 11 children together; both were previously married.
- Four of the couple’s children have a genetic syndrome called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which increases cancer risk.
- Genetic testing is a helpful and pro-active way to possibly prevent cancer by screening for certain diseases earlier than you might otherwise.
The couple, Erica and Spencer, have a huge, adorable blended family, both with children from previous marriages, bringing their brood to a total of 11 children. What makes this family particularly interesting are the ongoing challenges they face together. For starters, both spouses were widowed Spencer’s wife passed in a car crash, and Erica’s husband died of brain cancer.
Read MoreView this post on InstagramAdditionally, four of the Shemwell children have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which increases cancer risk. This is the same genetic syndrome that their father had, which led him to develop brain cancer. Erica spoke openly in a recent episode about her fears of losing her children to cancer. She says that her children get MRIs every year to look for signs of cancer.
“It’s an unexpected burden that people have no idea that I’m carrying, that I worry about these four kids and their health,” she says. “That’s hard. There’s not a lot of people you can talk with that can empathize with you.”
She also worries about how to talk about it with the kids.
“I’m struggling with trying to find the balance because with the kids, I don’t want to talk about it like, on an adult level because I don’t think they’re at the emotional capacity to even think about their own mortality yet. I think that would be really heavy for a young kid to have to deal with,” she tells her brother Quinn in the episode.
The Blended Bunch airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on TLC.
Genetic Testing & Cancer Mutations
Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a rare disorder that increases the risk of developing certain cancers, especially in children and young adults. It’s comparable to Lynch syndrome, in that it elevates cancer risk factors.
Related: What is Lynch Syndrome? And Why Is it Important to Know About for People Fighting Cancer?
The cancers most frequently tied to Li-Fraumeni syndrome are breast cancer, osteosarcoma (a bone cancer), and cancer of the soft tissue (i.e. muscle), soft tissue sarcoma. This syndrome can also lead to brain tumors, leukemia and adrenocortical carcinoma.
Discovering that you or a family member have Lynch syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome or the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation, which increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, can be life-saving. Knowledge equals power, and when you have the knowledge of having this syndrome or gene mutation, you can screen for specific cancers at a younger age and more frequently than you may do otherwise; this can lead to life-saving discoveries and allow for earlier treatment should a cancer present.
Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis in the Family
For people like the Shemwells, there may be a higher likelihood of a cancer diagnosis in the family at some point in time, due the presence of Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
Coping with a family member’s cancer diagnosis, and being there to support them through treatment, can be emotionally challenging. Many people find that therapy, or working with an oncological social worker, can help immensely. Support groups for cancer patients and their family members also exist.
Related: The Value of Using a Social Worker During Treatment
When dealing with a diagnosis, you don’t have to go through it alone. Reach out for support to help make the journey easier to bear.
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