Good Bones star Mina Starsiak shared an update on her son’s health on Instagram on Monday, revealing that he had “a routine operation.” Starsiak admitted that it was her greatest challenge yet as a mother, but happily informed her fans that everything had gone well.
Starsiak has been open with fans about her son, Jack Richard and his health issues, helping to cast light on subjects often ignored in the mainstream. She explained that Jack’s latest issue required surgical intervention, making it her “hardest mom moment yet!” However, everything worked out as well as she had hoped.
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“Waiting in a hospital, even for what is a routine operation, is just terrible,” Starsiak reflected. “This guy has been a trooper not being able to eat since dinner last night, still smiling and happy! He has an undescended testicle so needs it put where it goes to eliminate future complications. He’ll be out soon, fingers crossed, and I’ll post a happy after pic.”
Starsiak included two photos of Jack playing in the waiting room of Riley Children’s Hospital, apparently as happy as ever. The facility is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and many fans who have been there left comments assuring Starsiak that she was in good hands.
“Their urology dept is fantastic! My son was a little crooked (and had a small bladder issue) but they fixed that right up!” one fan testified.
“My son had the same surgery and he was did amazing,” echoed another. “Sending up prayers for you now!!”
“Ouch. Hope you have lots of hugs and good people around you. Not fun,” added a sympathetic fan. “Be Well Hawks.”
In many previous posts, Jack has been seen wearing a medically-prescribed helmet, which Starsiak told PEOPLE was for a “flat head.”
“He’s just got a flat head,” she said simply. “He doesn’t seem to care about [wearing] it at all… I think people have really appreciated seeing the pictures of him in the helmet because it makes it more normal.”
Starsiak added — in the kindest terms possible — that she sometimes found herself fatigued by the unsolicited advice of her online followers, even when it was offered in good faith.
“All the comments are so nice and so positive, but there are definitely those people who give unsolicited advice or have stronger opinions,” she said. “I feel like that’s to be expected. I made a choice to make part of my life public. The way the network is, people think they know me.”
Fans feel especially close to Starsiak, having watched her and her mother, Karen E. Laine, for more than four seasons now on HGTV‘s Good Bones. The show documents their lives and work remodeling and flipping homes, with a focus on green spaces and rustic aesthetics.
Good Bones airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on HGTV.
