In Episode 3 of ‘The Golden Bachelorette,’ Joan learn that her 92-year-old mother, Mary, has been sick for several days.
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Golden Bachelorette.
Although she appears to have everything under control, Joan Vassos, the leading lady of The Golden Bachelorette, is starting to wrestle with her emotions.
In the third episode, Joan finally shares her true feelings with the remaining contestants, leading to a heartfelt moment and plenty of tears.
She tells the guys she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be 100 percent ready to find love again and expresses how much she misses her family, especially her 92-year-old mother. This situation becomes even more intense when she discovers that her mom is sick.
Joan opens up about her 92-year-old mom on ‘The Golden Bachelorette.’
During the group date afterparty, Joan chats with Gil Ramirez and opens up about her childhood. The leading lady shares that she grew up in a “really small” family; Joan’s late father, who passed away just three months after her husband, emigrated from Holland, where he grew up during World War II.
Joan also reveals that her mother, Mary, spent much of her upbringing in an orphanage because her own mother (Joan’s grandmother) had tuberculosis, which was treated by isolating patients in sanatoriums. Joan explains that her mom has no living relatives, and throughout her (Joan’s) life, she never met anyone from her mom’s side of the family.
Now, just before sharing these personal details with Gil, Joan receives a phone call from home. She learns that her mom has been sick for several days with a respiratory issue, and the doctors and her family are reaching out for her help in figuring out the situation.
Joan suggests that her mom might need an inhaler and steroids to aid her recovery.
“It’s ultimately my responsibility to take care of my mom, and I feel guilty that I’m not there to help,” Joan tells the cameras. “It is hard to juggle prioritizing love with what’s going on at home. My family will always be my priority no matter what.”
Shortly after the phone call, Joan confides in Gary Levingston about her mom’s illness, and without hesitation, Gary promises her that he will keep Mary in his prayers.
“I do believe in the power of prayer,” Gary tells Joan. “It’s so amazing, the miracle of today. Tomorrow’s not promised, but today is our miracle and today is our happy place.”
During the cocktail party, Joan opens up to the other guys about her struggles and how even the smallest illness in Mary “worries the heck” out of her. The guys rally around her, and Gary even reads a sweet prayer he wrote for Joan and her mom.
Moved to tears, Joan embraces Gary in a comforting hug: “You know, I believe in the power of prayer, and um, my mom is better today,” Joan tells Gary, and he can’t hide his relief at hearing the positive news.
