Staying strong. Hallmark Channel host Cameron Mathison revealed that he is battling renal cancer.
Mathison, 50, initially shared the health update during his Hallmark Channel show Home and Family on Monday, September 9. He also posted the news across social media the following day, asking for his followers’ “help” in his time of need.
“About a month ago, I had an MRI for some gut issues I’ve been having, and during that MRI they found a tumor on my right kidney. It’s consistent with Renal Cell Carcinoma … or kidney cancer,” he captioned a photo with his family on Tuesday, September 10. “The good news is that it hasn’t spread to any other organs🙏🏼. They say my healthy lifestyle and diet has no doubt helped keep it from growing and spreading to other areas, as doctors think it’s been growing in me for minimum 10 years🙏🏼.”
The All My Children alum continued, “I am extremely lucky that we found it early. Thank you to my longtime friend and urologist @jon_giddens who has helped me tremendously through this process.”
Mathison then thanked his wife, Vanessa Arevalo, and their children, Lucas and Leila. He credited them for being “absolutely amazing with their love and support.” He additionally thanked his mother, father and brother along with his colleagues at Home and Family, Hallmark and Entertainment Tonight.
“My surgery is scheduled on September 12th,” he continued. “I was hoping to receive positive thoughts, prayers, or whatever you feel comfortable with, on 9/12 (my surgery is at 1pm PST) 🙏🏼.”
Mathison concluded by noting how he was “feeling very grateful and optimistic” amid his health crisis.
The Canadian-American TV host got his start as a model before moving into acting with roles in movies such as 54 and Washed Up. By the late ‘90s, the McGill University graduate landed the role of Ryan Lavery on All My Children — a part that saw him nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards.
Mathison competed on Dancing With the Stars in 2007, placing eighth with pro dancer Edyta Śliwińska. He also continued to nab guest roles on TV shows like Drop Dead Diva and Desperate Housewives, and starred in Hallmark movies including The Christmas Ornament and My Gal Sunday.
In 2015, he became a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and three years later, he joined Hallmark’s Home and Family Show as a cohost.
