HGTV Star Has ‘Amazing’ Night On Stage After Sharing Son’s Cancer Fight

Getty Standing ovation from crowd

HGTV personality Shea Hicks Whitfield had a well-deserved night of inspiration and celebration, two weeks after revealing her baby boy’s cancer diagnosis to fans. The Detroit real estate agent, who appears on “Bargain Block” alongside Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas, took center stage to interview author, actress, and social media influencer Tabitha Brown at the jam-packed Fillmore Detroit theater and said the whole evening was “amazing.”

Shea Hicks Whitfield Hosts Book Tour Event With Tabitha Brown

On October 14, 2022, Hicks Whitfield posted photos and videos on Instagram from the previous night with Brown, whose joyful, loving personality has earned her millions of social media followers as she openly shares her hardships, victories, and personal health journey, including adopting a plant-based diet.

Brown is on a national tour promoting her just-released cookbook, Cooking From the Spirit, with theater events hosted by a different local celebrity on each stop — including Hicks Whitfield in Detroit. She facilitated the on-stage conversation, matching Brown’s high-energy vibe and even her colorful outfit.

After the fun evening, Hicks Whitfield wrote on her post, “I had thee most amazing time hosting Tabitha’s #CookingFromTheSpirit (Detroit Tour-stop) @iamtabithabrown is so beautiful inside and out! Thanks for sharing your love and light with your Detroit peeps”

The comment section was filled with praise from people who attended the event, and from some who were just happy to see the new mom out on the town and soaking up the spotlight, especially after her first few weeks of being a mom has been such a roller coaster.

One of them wrote, “Such an honor! So cool! You both are Sistas Who Rock!!”

New Mom Shea Hicks Whitfield Recently Revealed Newborn’s Rare Cancer Diagnosis

Fans have been concerned about Hicks Whitfield and her family ever since the new mom revealed that her baby boy Beau, born on July 29, had been diagnosed with a rare cancer. She and her husband, Terry Whitfield, joyfully announced Beau’s arrival, sharing that he weighed 7 lbs., 15 oz. But within days of his birth, they were processing difficult news about their only child.

Hicks Whitfield waited a few weeks to share the diagnosis with fans. On September 30, she posted an Instagram photo of her and her husband with baby Beau in his nursery.

“The journey of parenthood has proven to be a roller coaster of a ride, with Terry and I blessed to be together through the ups and downs,” she wrote. “The long nights and short days; dirty diapers and baby laundry; late night bottles and early morning feedings. Beau James has made all these experiences worthwhile. He’s the blessing we didn’t know we needed, and the angel we didn’t deserve.”

Hicks Whitfield then shared, “Five days into our parenting experience, we received the news that no parent wants to hear: Beau was born with a rare form of cancer.”

The new mom then shared that her baby had been diagnosed with Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), which impacts only 300-400 children in the U.S. per year. According to Dana Farber Cancer Center, LCH happens when a child has too many Langerhans cells, which are usually in the skin to help fight infection and destroy foreign substances in the body. The cells can build up in certain parts of the body — including the skin, lymph nodes, liver, spleen, lung or brain — where they can damage tissue or form tumors.

Hicks Whitfield didn’t reveal Beau’s treatment plan, but wrote, “We have been blessed with terrific health care support, and our village has provided the prayer and positive energy needed for Beau to thrive, despite his diagnosis.”

On October 7, she uploaded an adorable Instagram video of her baby boy, and overlayed audio of a child saying, “Do you think I’m cute? Yes or no?” The proud mama wrote an emphatic, “Yessss!!!”

Many fans chimed in to agree, with a couple of them saying he needs to be “the next Gerber baby.” Multiple fans wrote that they were keeping him in their prayers, while others asked how baby Beau was doing.

On her Instagram post the day before, featuring a video of her and her husband making the Lazy Peach Cobbler recipe from the “Cooking From the Spirit” cookbook, a fan asked, “How is precious baby doing?”

Hicks Whitfield responded, “He’s doing pretty good thanks” and added a prayer emoji.