Howie Mandel reveals that her grandson is in remission after leukemia diagnosis

Howie Mandel and his daughter, Jackilin Schultz, reveal their family’s experiences with their son’s cancer diagnosis.

The father-daughter duo made a deep appearance with Graham Bensinger on Wednesday, September 17th, revealing that Jackielin’s son Axel was previously diagnosed with leukemia and is currently in remission.

The American Got Talent Judge 69 explained that Axel has autoimmune issues and has become “really specific” and that families must learn how to deal with the diagnosis. He admitted this was the first time his family has publicly shared an Axel diagnosis.

Mandel and Schultz, 39, recall the backlash Schultz faced while wearing masks while filming the podcast. During his cancer treatment, she was wearing a mask whenever a guest caught a cold to keep both her and Axel healthy.

“I got such hatred in vitriol, which I thought was because they didn’t agree with their politics or anything,” Schultz explained. “And I said to myself, “They don’t know what I’m going through right now. They don’t think I could just visit my son in the hospital.”

Mandel cried out to explain that Axel was doing better and was in remission now. “But he had to get a bone marrow transplant from his sister,” he said as she began to tear.

When Schultz wiped away her tears, she explained that she tried to deal with it by “moving ahead without thinking about it.”

“And we’re incredibly lucky because he’s doing really, really well now,” she said. “But that was definitely the lowest point in my entire life.

Mandel comforts his daughter, “Imagine you’re going home and looking at the baby and someone says that what’s scary is wrong.”

“It’s really, really difficult,” he said. His grandson said, “Because I don’t have an immune system yet so I can’t go to school.

“We’re just trying to build his immune system,” he said. Schultz then intervened and shared that his family was dealing with the transplant.

“I don’t think people realize that so much is included in the treatment that it’s not just cancer, but also the treatment and follow-up that follows,” she said. “And that’s a really, really, really, really long, difficult road.”

“We are really fortunate to be where we are now, and we are really fortunate that he is happy and he is well,” the mother of the two said. “But we are still dealing with the bumps and hurdles associated with diagnosis and implantation.”

Shultz shares Axel and Abbey, 11, with her husband, Alex Shultz. Mandel is also the father of his 33-year-old son Alex and his 31-year-old daughter Riley. He recently became three grandfathers after Riley welcomed his daughter Noah in March 2024.

Before Noah was born, Howie announced that Riley was pregnant on an episode of the Jennifer Hudson Show in January 2024.

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“Grandson, if I had known it was this good and it was so much fun, I would have done it first,” he joked at the time.

“To have a child, to have this bundle of joy, I have this love that I can’t get enough, and when it starts smelling, I’ll be able to return it,” he continued with a laugh.