Bear Brown sent a message of thanks to his Instagram followers and fans of Alaskan Bush People on Thanksgiving. The 31-year-old Discovery Channel star took to social media to share a family selfie and imparted some grateful words on his followers.
“Hey everybody! Thank you for all you’re kindness! [sic] And words of encouragement!!” he wrote in the caption. “Thanks to all the fans! And film people! And to everyone who cares more about others then themselves! [sic] No matter what we are all the same! No one is more important then anyone else!”
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He continued, saying how thankful he was to be surrounded by his siblings and his parents on the holiday. “I am EXTREMELY grateful to still have my parents and siblings with me!!! Have an AWESOME!!! Thanksgiving!!!”
Standing in the photo behind Brown were his sisters, Bird, 23, and Rainy, 15, his brother Gabe, 28, and his parents, Billy and Ami. Missing from the family get-together were Matt, 35, Bam, 33 and Noah, 26.
Matt is likely feeling particularly grateful for his mother’s presence after she battled stage 4 lung cancer last year. She defied insurmountable odds against her when she beat the cancer that doctors gave her a 3 percent chance of overcoming.
In the season 8 finale of Alaskan Bush People, which aired in September, the Browns breathed a sign of relief after learning the results of Ami’s cancer tests. Billy and Bear accompanied her halfway through the season to Los Angeles where she underwent extensive testing.
When the trio returned to their Washington home, Billy revealed the exciting news.
“We finally got all the results in,” he said. “It went good. Hadn’t grown. Not even enough to biopsy.”
He continued to the cameras of her cancer, “It’s still there for sure, but it’s so small they can’t even test it.”
The results came after numerous chemotherapy and radiation treatments after Ami was diagnosed in 2017.
Ami isn’t the only Brown family member to face health struggles; last month, Billy was hospitalized with a respiratory infection. He spent time in a hospital, received treatment and eventually was sent home “focusing on his health,” according to the show’s official Twitter account.
In his Thanksgiving Instagram post, Bear sounded extra grateful to have his family by his side, considering the emotional year the Browns have had.
Alaskan Bush People will return for a ninth season, likely in 2019.