Life happened quickly for Katie Thurston in the last few years. She got engaged to comedian Jeff Arcuri in the summer of 2024. After the engagement, she made the move from California to New York City, where he lives. During this time, the Bachelorette star went to the doctor to get a worrisome lump in her breast checked out.
She found out that she had Stage 4 breast cancer. She’s been fighting for her life for the last year. Now, she revealed that her beloved mom received a shocking health diagnosis of her own. Find out more about the incredible situation.
Katie Thurston Shares Mom’s Shocking Diagnosis
Katie Thurston was just 34 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer with no known family history. The cancer spread to her liver, but after months of treatment, she revealed that the liver cancer was undetectable.
Amid all of her health woes, the reality star revealed on Instagram that her mother was just recently diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer as well. Katie Thurston shared the news on social media, noting that it wasn’t the doctors who discovered the breast cancer. It was through the Bachelorette star’s urging that the doctors did a breast ultrasound on her mother’s dense breasts after a negative mammogram.
It was then that something was found, leading to further testing. Katie Thurston’s mother was eventually diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, the same cancer her daughter has. The news came as a complete shock, as Katie Thurston was, until now, the first in her family with breast cancer.
The former reality star flew back to Seattle to be there for her mom’s first appointment after the diagnosis. “I want to make sure she is getting proper care and information. I hate that we have to be our biggest advocate but also, it’s what will save your life,” Katie Thurston wrote on Instagram.
She added, “Dense breasts need more than a mammogram to screen for cancer and yet somehow my mom had never been referred for further imaging.” Katie Thurston said that it was through advocating for themselves that they were lucky enough to catch her mom’s breast cancer early.
Bachelorette Star Reveals Baby Plans Amid Cancer Diagnosis
Katie Thurston’s breast cancer diagnosis fast-tracked her wedding plans. The couple tied the knot in an intimate backyard wedding in March 2025.
Shortly after her breast cancer diagnosis, Katie Thurston began an IVF journey to preserve her chances of having kids. She recently shared a massive update with fans about their baby plans.
“We have two frozen embryos waiting for us! When we see these houses, we see a nursery room,” she wrote on social media as she house hunted with her husband.
The Bachelorette star added, “If all goes well with house hunting, I could see surrogacy matching happening later in the year.”
But those plans may be on hold after her mother received a shocking health diagnosis of her own. Katie Thurston plans to be there every step of the way for her mom.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
