Maria Menounos Talks Raising Her Family in Church: ‘Really Important’
By Movieguide® Contributor
American television presenter Maria Menounos recently opened up about her new baby girl, her plans to raise her family in church and recent health scares.
In an interview with TODAY.com, Menounos shared, “Bringing my daughter up in the Greek community is going to be really important, giving her those strong roots, going to church and letting her know it’s (good) to have and be a good member of the community.”
Menounos’s daughter Athena Alexandra was born via surrogate this past June after Maria and her husband Keven Undergaro battled 10 years of infertility.
“Without a doubt, Athena is our little miracle,” she shared on Instagram. “The long and winding journey it took to bring her into our lives, the multitude of challenges we had to face as a family, only amplifies the miracle that she truly is… And thank you everyone for your continued prayers and support through our medical ups and downs to Athena’s ultimate arrival. I’m forever grateful to you and so many others in my life, too.”
In addition to infertility, Menounos has faced several other health challenges, including a brain tumor and stage 2 pancreatic cancer.
PEOPLE reported that the cancer diagnosis occurred shortly before her baby came.
“The test revealed a 3.9 cm. mass on her pancreas, with a subsequent biopsy confirming that it was a Stage 2 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, a form of cancer. ‘I’m like ‘How in the freaking world can I have a brain tumor and pancreatic cancer?…All I could think was that I have a baby coming.’”
Thankfully, the cancer was successfully removed after she underwent surgery this past February.
“I’m so grateful and so lucky,” she shared with PEOPLE. “God granted me a miracle. “I’m going to appreciate having her in my life so much more than I would have before this journey.”
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