Shangela's family health struggle prior to DWTS announcement
Shangela made history when it was revealed that he would be one of the contestants on the latest season of Dancing with the Stars.
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The honor of being the first drag queen to ever compete on the show certainly helped bring joy to the performer's family after a tough few days.
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It was only days before the big announcement was made that Shangela revealed that his mother, who he affectionately referred to as "Mama Deb," was in the hospital.
Alongside a photo of the star watching over his mom while she lay in her hospital bed, he wrote: "Please send some good vibes and prayers to my Mama Deb today.
"She's about to go into a 3 hour surgery here in Dallas. Will update y'all in the comments when she's out."
He was quickly inundated with a wave of love and support from friends and fellow celebrities like Taraji P. Henson, Brandy, Tony Hale, and more.
Shangela's mom had surgery a few days before his DWTS announcement
The RuPaul's Drag Race alum shared an update soon after, however, saying that his mother's surgery had gone well and she was resting.
"Update on Mama DEB: She is out of surgery. Went well. Praise God. She is resting now and in recovery. Thanks for your love. Halleloo."
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Soon after, while Shangela had to fly out to Los Angeles to kick off rehearsals for the upcoming dance show, he did share another update on his mom, revealing that she was doing much better and the surgery was the result of cancer complications.
Alongside a selfie of his mom, he wrote: "Thank you to all my friends/family for checking in on my mom this week. Means more to me than you know!
She has been in recovery since
"And to all of you for your texts, calls, DMs and comments... #MamaDeb and I appreciate it all as she continues recovering from surgery. She's a fighter and I admire her strength so much. #cancersucks"
The star is hoping to make his mom proud with his involvement on the show, already having been touted as a favorite for his vast performance experience and other high-caliber work such as on Lady Gaga's A Star is Born and the Emmy-winning HBO show We're Here.
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