Longtime Hallmark actress and director Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe underwent a double (or bilateral) mastectomy on February 19, 2026 — the second major step in her treatment plan for stage 3 breast cancer.
An update on Lowe’s condition had not been made public by the evening of her operation, but a double mastectomy can take many hours and may require several nights in the hospital, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Hallmark’s Kristin Booth Asked for Prayers as Crystal Lowe’s Surgery Began
On the morning of Lowe’s surgery, her Hallmark bestie, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” co-star Kristin Booth, posted a black-and-white sketch of a woman’s torso in her Instagram Stories and wrote, “My dearest friend @officialcrystallowe is currently undergoing a double mastectomy. All positive energy and prayers are welcome. Thank you.”
Lowe, 45, first revealed her cancer diagnosis to fans in October 2025 as she was beginning four months of chemotherapy treatments. She’s documented her journey on social media and insisted on working throughout her infusions, from directing a movie remotely from her cancer center to filming a new project in between the end of chemo and her surgery.
GettyLowe has leaned on her family for support, including husband Miko Tomasevich and their two young kids. But she has also shared repeatedly how grateful she’s been for the love from her Hallmark family, from friends bringing food or driving her to chemo to the Hallmark Media team purchasing a new victory bell for her cancer center. Lowe got choked up while becoming the first one to ring it after her final chemo infusion in January.
Crystal Lowe Will Have Reconstructive Surgery & Radiation in Future Months
On the day before her surgery, Lowe posted a video from her car and admitted, “There are so many emotions, I can’t even wrap my brain around it.” In the caption of her post, she wrote that “every time I’m onto the next adventure it feels so scary.”
The “Shifting Gears” director previously shared that she’d undergo a double mastectomy on February 19 to remove the tumor and all surrounding tissue in her right breast. Her left breast will also be removed to decrease the chance of recurrence and to help her eventual reconstruction with implants look symmetrical.
In a video post on February 10, Lowe told her Instagram followers, “I’m not gonna lie, I am, like, so sad to lose my boobs and also so happy to get rid of this cancer and actually get a pathology report so I actually know what’s going on.”
After a mastectomy, pathologists closely examine a tumor and the tissue around it to determine if all of the cancer was removed with “clear margins,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It can take up to a week for results and for next steps to be determined, but Lowe has already said her team anticipates her needing radiation post-surgery.
Prayers and blessings
Prayers are sent God Bless
Sending prayers for Crystal. You are going through all of this like a trouper, and you have the right spirit and outlook. Good luck on the surgery and will be glad when you are back directing another Hallmark movie.