The Real Housewives of Orange County alum Jeana Keough has been diagnosed with tongue cancer.

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Jeana's children Kara, 37, and Shane, 39, revealed that Jeana is battling squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue on Sunday, July 19. (Jeana also shares Colton, 34, with her late husband, Matt Keough.)

Jeana, 70, has been "in the middle of one of the most painful and vulnerable seasons of her life," according to her kids, who provided a long list of Jeana's admirable character and personality traits.

"Everyone who knows her knows this: she's almost impossibly optimistic in the face of terrifying things -- wildfires, cancer, uncertainty," the siblings captioned an Instagram photo of their mother sitting on the couch."

They added on social media, "Yet somehow she's always been afraid of the simplest thing: being vulnerable enough to ask for help."

A GoFundMe account has been created to raise money for Jeana's medical expenses.

Kara wrote on the GoFundMe page, "A few months ago, while visiting Shane and me in Florida, my mom mentioned a painful spot on her tongue. She assumed a tooth had been rubbing against it and had even gone to the dentist multiple times to have the tooth filed down."

"I asked her how long the sore had been there," she continued.

"She paused, thought about it, and realized it had been nearly a year. A biopsy confirmed our worst fear: squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue."

Jeana underwent surgery "to remove the cancer," according to Kara.

"We were hopeful that the hardest part was behind her," she wrote.

"But when doctors recommended a second surgery to remove lymph nodes, they discovered the cancer had spread. What we thought would be a one-time surgery became a full cancer battle."

Kara shared that Jeana is now in her fifth week of chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy.

"The treatments are relentless," Kara admitted.

"She is exhausted, struggling to stay awake, and becoming malnourished because the pain in her tongue and throat makes swallowing even the smallest bites or sips incredibly difficult."

Kara said every single day "is a battle just to get enough nutrition and hydration" to continue treatment.

Jeana has apparently been unable to work and so her family appreciate any and all donations.

Fellow The Real Housewives of Orange County alums have been showing their support, including Vicki Gunvalson, who wants to make sure that Jeana "feels cared for, loved and supported throughout this fight."

And Tamra Judge wrote on Instagram, "We love you, Momma Jeana. Keeping you in our prayers every step of the way. If you're able to support her, the GoFundMe link is in my story and in my bio. Every donation, no matter the size, truly helps."

Jeana starred as an original Housewife on the first five seasons of The Real Housewives of Orange County from 2006 to 2010.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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