Four of Erica Shemwell's Kids on 'Blended Bunch' Have the Disorder That Killed Her First Husband

Mar. 30 2021, Updated 11:27 p.m. ET

TLC's latest fact display, The Blended Bunch, follows Erica and Spencer Shemwell and their large mixed family of eleven. Both Erica and Spencer misplaced their first spouses; Spencer lost his spouse to a automotive coincidence, while Erica lost her husband to cancer. Their loss and trauma is explored in The Blended Bunch, in conjunction with lifestyles with youngsters who're nonetheless adapting to their new family, and Erica's brother's suspicions about Spencer's intentions.

While there is a lot of drama to observe, many have an interest (and saddened) through Erica's story. 

How did Erica Shemwell's first husband die?

33-year-old Erica Shemwell's first husband, Tony Means, died of brain most cancers. He was once identified with brain cancer when he was 23, all through the second yr of his marriage with Erica. He beat cancer thrice, but sadly succumbed to the disease in 2016. 

What is Li-Fraumeni Syndrome?

Tony used to be identified with the genetic disorder Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, which is where your body is missing one of the two cancer-fighting genes (TP53) people are born with. Those who be afflicted by this disease are more likely to get cancer and rare cancers at that. People who have Li-Fraumeni Syndrome aren't assured to get most cancers in line with se, but the odds are a lot, a lot upper. 

"People who have Li-Fraumeni have about a 95 to 99 percent chance of getting cancer in their lifetime. Generally, it's young or a young adult or even as a child," Erica explained.

Tony and Erica only came upon that he carried the genetic mutation when he was once diagnosed with most cancers. "Tony had a long battle with cancer for eight years, so most of our marriage. Once we found out Tony tested positive for brain cancer, that's when we found that he had a rare genetic mutation called Li-Fraumeni syndrome," Erica stated.

Some viewers of the display are conflicted about Erica and Tony's decision to have such a lot of kids once they no longer best knew that Tony may die of cancer early of their lives, but also that Li-Fraumeni Syndrome is a disorder that is genetically passed down for your offspring. And we already know that four out of 7 in their kids (Landon, Emma, Sophie, and Caleb) have tested certain for the disorder, which might imply a protracted highway of ache suffering in their lives.

Which Erica does deal with. "It's an unexpected burden that people have no idea that I'm carrying, that I worry about these four kids and their health. That's hard. There's not a lot of people you can talk with that can empathize with you," Erica confesses. Erica takes all of her kids on per 30 days MRI screenings to watch for most cancers, but that's the best preventative measure they may be able to take.

On the display, Spencer is getting criticized for not supporting Erica sufficient (she is going on those per month MRI screenings alone and suffers from panic attacks), and her biggest champion is her brother Quinn. 

Quinn tells her she will have to divulge heart's contents to Spencer, and he also hopes that Spencer steps up. "I hope she tells Spencer ASAP the seriousness of what she's feeling and what she's going through. Because it's critical to Erica's wellbeing, to her children's wellbeing, to their relationship," Quinn says.

Watch new episodes of The Blended Bunch each and every Tuesday at Nine p.m. ET on TLC.

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