Kamala Harris Once Teared Up While Speaking About Her Mom’s Colon Cancer Diagnosis

In a heartfelt moment captured on camera, presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris once shared the devastating news of her mother’s cancer diagnosis. The video, released in 2019 during Harris's initial presidential campaign, shows Harris in a poignant conversation with Ady Barkan, an ALS patient and prominent advocate for 'Medicare for All'.

The video begins with Barkan’s computerized voice, given his battle with ALS, which has left him unable to walk, talk, or eat unaided, CNN reported. Barkan, known for his interviews with various political figures, including several 2020 Democratic contenders, asked Harris to recount the day her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was diagnosed with cancer— a story Harris often shared on the campaign trail.

“You’ve written that the day your mother was diagnosed with cancer was one of the worst days of your life,” Barkan began. “Tell me about that.” Harris started her familiar narrative but soon found herself overwhelmed with emotion. “She took our hands and she said she’d been diagnosed with colon cancer,” Harris recalled, detailing how her mother broke the news to her and her sister, Maya. “That was one of the worst days of my life, truly. But, you know, it is also, as you know, and your family knows…” Harris’s voice trembled, and she paused. “Just give me a second.”

As Harris recounted her mother’s prognosis, she teared up, remembering Gopalan, a single mother who raised Harris and her sister, who would not live to see her daughter’s historic run for the presidency. Despite her best efforts to stay composed, the grief over her loss was evident in every word, even a decade later. “It is about going through a system that is complicated,” she said, struggling to regain her composure.

“There are elements of it that work and elements of it that did not work. Um, give me a second,” Harris paused again, and shared endearingly, “You know Ady, I knew this was gonna happen!” She continued, wiping her tears with her voice breaking as she attempted to crack a joke, “I was like, ‘I am not gonna tear up.’ I promised myself I was not going to tear up. But you got me.”

Harris often speaks about her parents' profound impact on her life, as per TODAY. Gopalan’s influence is evident in several of Harris' personality quirks. Whether it’s the well-known 'coconut tree' meme or her distinctive laugh that has both endeared her to some and attracted trolls, Harris attributes much of who she is to her mother and father, Donald Harris. Reflecting on her upbringing, Harris once shared a cherished memory. “My mother would laugh telling a story she loved about the time when I was fussing as a toddler. ‘What do you want?’ she asked, trying to soothe me. ‘Fweedom!’ I yelled back.”