Hallmark Fan Favorite Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe Announces Breast Cancer Battle in Emotional Update
Hallmark favorite Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, 44, has gone public with a Stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis, laying bare her battle in a candid essay for PEOPLE. The Final Destination 3 and Center Stage: Turn It Up star details her journey and what comes next.
Some tough news out of the Hallmark world: Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe has revealed she has Stage 3 breast cancer. The 44-year-old actor-director shared the diagnosis and walked through what the last few months have actually looked like in a candid essay for People, and she is already through her first round of chemo.
Quick refresher: who we are talking about
Lowe has been a steady presence on Hallmark lately, both on camera and behind it. She is part of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered movie series and recently directed Shifting Gears, starring Tyler Hynes. Outside the Hallmark bubble, you have probably seen her in Final Destination 3 and Center Stage: Turn It Up.
What happened and when
- February 2025: While getting ready one morning, she felt a large mass in her right breast. It did not hurt.
- Over the next couple months: The mass did not go away and seemed to shift in size and position. Then her nipple inverted, which sent her back to the doctor.
- Initial shock: She was told it might be cancer. At first she thought she was dealing with a moderate Stage 2 case and wanted it surgically removed as soon as possible.
- After more testing: The plan changed. Surgery first was off the table, and chemo had to come before any cutting. The diagnosis is Stage 3 breast cancer.
- Where she is now: She has completed her first round of chemotherapy and is taking it step by step.
How she is handling it
Lowe writes that she went looking for people who were in the same fight and built herself a support system before chemo started. She admits she is leaning into a little theatrical flair to keep her courage up — her words, and honestly, whatever works.
She also makes a point to thank the people around her. Her husband and family have been steadying her, and her friends have basically formed a care squad — showing up, checking in, cleaning the house, and organizing a meal train. She says colleagues across the industry have been reaching out, too.
'We may not get to choose what happens to us, but we do get to choose how we meet it. And I am meeting it - with my sword raised, my heart open, and taking it one step at a time.'
Wishing Lowe strength and an easy path through the rest of treatment. If her update is any indication, she is meeting this head-on.