The Brown family has candidly shared their lives on Alaskan Bush People since the show’s 2014 premiere, shedding light on several tragedies over the years.
Before Matt Brown’s death in May 2026, matriarch Ami Brown endured a cancer battle, patriarch Billy Brown sadly died in 2021 and daughter Snowbird “Bird” Brown had dealt with severe health issues.
Keep reading for a look back at the Brown family’s tragedies and resiliency:
Ami Brown’s Cancer Battle
Ami was diagnosed with stage three lung cancer in 2017 and went into remission the following year after she completed treatment. At the time of her cancer battle, Ami told People that she was motivated to keep fighting.
“I realized early into this that it’s very easy to want to give up and just die. And on the pessimist side, it could be my last days. But I have the will to fight,” she said, per Fox News.
Ami Brown’s Ongoing Health Issues
After Ami has been hospitalized several times since her remission. She was hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia in March 2024 and was hospitalized for the same diagnosis again in February 2025.
Ami was hospitalized for a third time in April 2026, which her son Bear Brown confirmed on social media.
“Hey, so I just got some news about Mom that is not the best. It’s not the worst either. It could definitely be worse,” he told his followers. “So, I just got a message that Mom is sick, that she’s not feeling particularly well, that she’s got a fever, and that she’s congested, and so they’ve taken her to the hospital.”
He added that she seemed “OK” and that his siblings are “taking good care of her” while she was in the hospital.
Billy Brown’s Fatal Seizure
Billy died in February 2021 at the age of 68 after he suffered a seizure.
“We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved patriarch Billy Brown passed away last night after suffering from a seizure,” Bear wrote via Instagram at the time. “He was our best friend — a wonderful and loving dad, granddad and husband and he will be dearly missed.”
Bear added that the beloved patriarch lived his “life on his terms, off the grid and off the land and taught us to live like that as well.”
Snowbird Brown’s Ongoing Health Issues
Another member of the Brown family who has been open about their health issues is Snowbird.
In 2022, Snowbird revealed she experienced severe abdominal pain that led her to see a doctor. After she underwent a medical examination, doctors found massive cystic tumors that took up her entire abdomen.
Snowbird later underwent emergency surgery to remove two tumors from her ovaries, revealing that one weighed eight pounds while the other weighed four pounds.
She shared a health update in May 2026, revealing that she’s mostly feeling good. “I am healed from the surgery and the removal of the tumors. Luckily, they were not cancerous. They were benign. They were cystic in nature and they were borderline tumors,” she said via Instagram, adding that the tumors could potentially come back because they were “cystic in nature.”
Snowbird added that no tumors have returned. “I have a couple really good doctors. I get my bloodwork done a lot,” she said.
The TV personality went on to reveal that she’s been dealing with other health issues in recent years. ”I’m working with my doctors and everything and it’s not the tumors. It’s a different thing,” she said of her latest health issues.
While Snowbird did not reveal all of her recent diagnoses, she did share that she “has been anemic for a long time.”
“I’m tired, really all the time, because of the anemia,” she said. “It’s something I’ve been battling with for a couple years now.”
Matt Brown’s Death in May 2026
The family experienced another tragedy when Ami and Billy’s oldest son, Matt, died in May 2026 of what was believed to be a suicide. (A cause of death was not immediately revealed.)
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office received a call on May 27, 2026, in which someone reported they saw a man sitting in the shallow waters of the Okanogan River in Washington state, according to TMZ. The caller said that the man was lying face down in the river and he was being swept away by the current.
A search was set out for Matt, and Bear confirmed days later on May 30, 2026, that Matt died at the age of 43.
“They found a body in the river a few hours ago and it was positively identified as being Matt,” Bear said via TikTok. “[Brother] Noah was with them and helped them pull the body out of the water. Noah identified [Matt].”
Bear said that Matt “struggled for a long time” amid his battle with substance abuse, but he “never would have suspected that [Matt] would have hurt himself.”
“I was so worried that he would end up ODed or something like that. I didn’t think he would hurt himself,” Bear said, reiterating that while an official cause of death was not known at the time, he believed his brother’s death to be “self-inflicted.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
