‘Alaskan Bush People’ Star Ami Brown: ‘I Still Don’t Have All My Strength Up Yet’ After Cancer
For seven seasons, the Discovery channel series Alaskan Bush People has followed the Brown family as they navigate, and try to survive, the wilderness as a "wolf pack." But during the past year, the family has withstood their biggest challenge yet: matriarch Ami Brown’s cancer diagnosis.
Ami was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, and the immediate aftermath was shown on last season of Alaskan Bush People. But this January, the Browns announced Ami was cancer-free. Ami is still getting back to normal after grueling chemotherapy and radiation, but the family isn’t settled yet. The eighth season of Alaskan Bush People, which premieres Saturday, shows the family packing up and moving to Washington state.
CountryLiving.com caught up with the Brown family just hours before son Noah’s wedding to his fiance, Rhain Alisha. They were en route to the big day, with their dog in tow, and took the time to reflect on their family’s turbulent year.
The new season of Alaskan Bush People will follow Ami’s health progress, and Ami says viewers will see her physically get better through the show. “To be quite honest, I was very, very weak at first,” Ami says. “[When you see] pictures we were taking at the beginning, compared to what I look like now, I still was very sickly looking.”
At her lowest, Ami weighed 77 pounds, and Billy says he had to carry her around constantly. But these days, she’s looking much better. “I’m feeling very well, thank you,” Ami says. “I still don’t have all my strength up yet, but I’m working on it. I did lose my hair, but it’s coming back, and it’s coming back curly.” Her hair hasn’t quite reached her pre-chemotherapy length, but it’s about a few inches long at this point.
“[Ami] didn’t realize just how bad it really was,” Billy adds. “She’s so much better now, it’s unbelievable.”
Ami, who was once given a three percent chance of survival, says the support of her family helped her get through her cancer treatment. The Browns uprooted their lives from Alaska and moved to Southern California to get her the best care possible, and that transition was tough. “I think we just all persevered with a lot of faith in the good Lord and faith in each other,” son Gabe says.
“I think it was easier on myself than it was on all my loved ones who supported me. Because my fight was easy compared to theirs,” Ami says. “There was nothing they could do but support me. And I’m thankful they were all there because that did help strengthen my will.”
Everywhere the family went, the Browns say they ran into supporters who asked about Ami. Discovery even let fans send letters to the Brown family to send their well-wishes. “It would have been a lot harder if everyone wasn’t so supportive,” son Bear says. “Every single person we met, they went above and beyond.”
“I’d like to thank everyone,” Ami says. “We’ve gotten so many comments of support and prayers from the world, literally, the world around.”
Alaskan Bush People premieres Sunday, August 19 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Discovery. Watch a sneak peek of the new season below:
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