MARIA Menounos said her mom battling brain cancer was diagnosed with Covid-19 with her husband.
After sharing the news, the 42-year-old asked for “prayers” for her family.
Maria opened up about her mother’s battle with Covid-19 during Monday’s episode of her podcast Better Together.
After a week-long absence from her podcast, Maria explained that she flew to Los Angeles to take care of her mother, Litsa.
Litsa has been dealing with a brain tumor after her battle with stage 4 brain cancer.
The journalist said on her podcast: “We got some not some not so great news on Monday, November 23, that my mom’s brain tumor was growing.”
Litsa’s housekeeper then called in sick, so Maria and her husband Kevin Undergaro flew out to help the next day.
Maria continued on the podcast: “We land, and that’s when this all started.
“I’m just going to share that we’re in process right now, and we still need prayers.
“Long story short is that within a few hours, both of my parents were diagnosed with COVID.”
Maria’s mother immediately went to the hospital, with her father, Constantinos, going soon after.
The journalist teared up as she said: “First it was my mom; they had rushed her to the hospital right when I landed, and then a few hours later my dad tested positive. It was absolutely surreal.
“And at this moment, both of them are in separate hospitals here in Los Angeles.”
The experience was made even more stressful for Maria as she spent the day on the phone with doctors at the different hospitals.
Maria continued: “It’s been pretty insane.
“I’ve kept focusing on what my desired outcome, and not what my fear was, and that helped me a lot. I think as it has extended, and I’ve become more and more tired, fear creeps back in.”
The emotional podcast host continued to cry as she called the last few weeks “an incredible challenge.”
She said: “You work so hard to keep your parents healthy and alive, and to see something like this happen.
“I mean it was bad enough on Monday to hear that about my mom’s tumor. And then the pile of that is a lot.”
Maria credited her family, friends and the hospital staffs for helping the family through the difficult time, stating: “We’ve had incredible doctors, incredible nurses, incredible friends, and incredible family, that have lifted up and helped us in this time.
“I can’t say enough about these nurses who are now having to manage FaceTime sessions. That’s not part of their job.”
The journalist also emotionally admitted to feeling “helpless” throughout the situation.
