Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, 44, is a longtime actor and director known for Final Destination 3, The L Word, and Hallmark’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered series. A wife and mother of two, she became the first graduate of Hallmark’s Make Her Mark directing program and has since directed projects for Hallmark, Lifetime, and Roku. In a heartfelt PEOPLE essay, Lowe revealed she’s been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, sharing how she discovered it and how she’s facing treatment with courage and support from her family.
In February 2025, as I was getting ready one morning, I discovered a large lump in my right breast — and in that instant, everything else faded away. At first, I assumed it was a strained muscle from a recent workout. Still, wanting to be cautious, I went straight to my doctor. They ordered a mammogram and a guided ultrasound, but both came back clear. “The breast is just one of those things,” they said lightly. “It’s a mystery.”
A few months later, the lump was still there — only now it had started to change in size and position, and with each passing day, my confusion and fear grew. There was no pain, but when my nipple became inverted, I knew something was wrong and returned to my doctor.
This time, the mass measured 10 centimeters, per PEOPLE. The tone in the room shifted immediately, and I was sent for an urgent blind biopsy. When the results came in, the doctor rested a hand on my arm and told me it looked like cancer.
For a moment, I just sat there, stunned, unable to process what I’d heard. I kept telling myself it couldn’t be true — yet deep down, a small, quiet part of me wondered if it was.
I just stared at him, blinking as if I hadn’t heard him correctly. “I don’t have cancer,” I thought. “That’s crazy.” But deep down, something inside me whispered, “What if?”
Three days later, my doctor confirmed the diagnosis — invasive carcinoma in one of my breast ducts. I hung up the phone, curled into a ball, and sobbed. My husband gave me space to grieve, then gently sent in our three-year-old, dressed as Spider-Man, striking superhero poses until I laughed through my tears. In that moment, I realized how healing laughter — and love — can be.
At first, I believed the cancer was Stage 2 and could be removed quickly. But after more tests, I learned it was Stage 3 and required the full course of treatment — chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and eventually reconstruction. For someone who’d never been seriously ill, it was overwhelming. Searching for strength, I turned to social media, connecting with other women who shared their experiences and small but life-changing tips for chemo.
Telling my Hallmark colleagues was another fear — I worried I’d lose work or be forgotten. Instead, Annie Howell and the entire Hallmark family surrounded me with unwavering support.
After learning about her treatment plan, Crystal Lowe chose to face her cancer with courage and imagination. Wanting to reframe her fear, she asked herself what the best “red” thing in her life was — and thought of her mother and aunts, all fiery redheads and fierce women. Inspired by them, she decided to view her chemo as a warrior named “Agnes McDonald,” who would battle her cancer, which she nicknamed “Barry.” With the Braveheart soundtrack playing and an image of a red-haired Scottish fighter in her mind, she finally felt strong and ready to fight.
Her plan became clear: shrink the tumor before surgery, nourish her body through a cancer-supportive diet, and protect her mind with positivity. Surrounded by love, Crystal says her husband, family, and friends have been her foundation—caring for her, cooking meals, and lifting her spirits.
Reflecting on her journey, she admits it has been terrifying, humbling, and transformative, pushing her to grow in every way. Her message to others facing hardship is one of hope: while we can’t control what happens to us, we can choose how we face it — with courage, grace, and an open heart.
