Daughter Surprises Mom with Rare Cancer with Family Christmas Caroling: 'I’ll Cherish This Memory Forever' (Exclusive)

• Growing up, Sara-Catherine Bellamy's mom always made the holidays incredibly special for her family, despite tough times

• This year, Bellamy, who now lives in Los Angeles, knew Christmas would look a little different

• Earlier this summer, her mom Tonya Strother Hebert was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare form of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma while visiting Bellamy in Los Angeles on Mother's Day

• As the holidays approached, one day while on the phone with her grandmother discussing their holiday plans, Bellamy had an idea to keep the Christmas magic alive, despite her mom's illness

Growing up, Sara-Catherine Bellamy's mom always made the holidays incredibly special for her family.

Her mom, Tonya Strother Hebert, 52, got divorced when Bellamy was 8 years old and worked three different jobs in Louisiana, where she raised her family, to make ends meet.

"During the hardest times — like when we had to light candles because the electricity was out — she made it feel fun, like it was just part of the adventure," Bellamy, now 26, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "Anything I wrote on my list to Santa would be there under the tree on Christmas morning, without fail."

"We had so many special traditions that made the holidays feel meaningful," she adds. "One of the things we did every year was write letters and fill gift bags for the homeless. My mom would take us to my grandmother’s house, where we’d pack up those gift bags and hand-deliver them to people in need around town. After that, we’d go Christmas caroling at the nursing home near my grandmother’s house."

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But this year, Bellamy, who now lives in Los Angeles, knew Christmas would look a little different. Earlier this summer, Hebert was unexpectedly diagnosed with a rare form of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma while visiting Bellamy in Los Angeles on Mother's Day. Since then, Hebert has lost the ability to talk, walk and eat.

According to the National Institutes of Health, symptoms of this form of cancer include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, ear pain and a palpable mass in the neck, depending on the location of the tumor.

"My mom has faced many trials in her life, including her current battle with cancer, yet she still manages to find the silver lining even in the darkest times," Bellamy says. "When her nurses come over, no matter how much pain she’s in or the treatments she’s undergoing, she’s the first one to start dancing — even at just 78 pounds."

"Her strength, resilience and joy in those little moments inspire me every day," she adds. "She truly embodies the spirit of love and generosity, and I’m so grateful to have her in my life."

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As the holidays approached, one day while on the phone with her grandmother discussing their holiday plans, Bellamy had an idea to keep the Christmas magic alive, despite her mom's illness.

"I said, 'Let’s still make the gift bags, but what if, instead of handing them out, we surprise Mom this year?' " Bellamy recalls telling her grandmother. "I suggested that everyone write her a letter and show up at my house to make her feel special. My Mimi took it one step further and said, 'Why don’t we Christmas carol for her instead of going to the nursing home this year?' "

"My Poppy was hesitant, joking, 'What if it makes her feel like an old person? What if it makes her sad?' " Bellamy adds. "But I reassured him that if we kept the songs uplifting and fun — none of the slow, somber ones like 'Silent Night' — it would bring her so much joy."

Bellamy, who's the oldest of 13 cousins, shared the idea with everyone, and right away, they were all excited to do this for her. "We’re a super close family — it’s like having 13 siblings — and we all rallied together," she says.

"I planned everything so my mom wouldn’t suspect a thing," she adds. "We left the backyard gate open and had everyone park down the street so she wouldn’t see the cars. After the gift bag party, I came back home and told her we were done for the night. She had no idea what was about to happen."

"We led everyone quietly through the gate, and when we opened the door, we stayed outside because of her chemo treatments and her immune system," she continues. "We started singing outside the big windows, and it was incredible to see her face light up."

As Hebert saw what was happening, she grabbed her camera and started recording.

In that moment, Bellamy says all she could think about was how excited she was to see her mom smile. With everything she’s going through and how swollen she is from treatment, even the tiniest grin felt like the best gift ever.

When her mom pulled out her camera to capture the moment, Bellamy says she couldn’t help but tear up — tears of pure joy.

"My dad had tears in his eyes, and you could just feel the love in the air," she says. "All of her siblings, all the parents, and every one of my cousins were there, and it felt magical. Later, she sent a text that I’ll never forget. She said it felt like God was right there with us that night, and it completely made her Christmas."

She continues, "It was such a beautiful experience — something none of us will ever forget. It reminded us all how important it is to show up for the people we love, especially when they need it most."

Later, Bellamy posted the video on TikTok, where, to her surprise, it went viral amassing more than 3.9 million views and 1,000 comments. Throughout her mom’s diagnosis, Bellamy says she has turned to social media to connect with other young adults and moms who have gone through similar experiences.

"I posted it, hoping it might inspire others who are feeling down about their own situations to find ways to create happiness — not just for themselves, but for the people they love most," she says. "Because when you can make the person you love, who’s suffering the most, truly happy, the joy it brings you is indescribable."

"Reading through the comments has been so emotional," she adds. "Seeing the outpouring of love and kindness brought tears to my eyes. There’s not a single hateful comment, which is such a rare thing on social media, where negativity can be overwhelming. But this time, it’s been nothing but positivity, and it feels especially meaningful during the holidays. It makes Christmas feel like Christmas again, knowing there are still so many good people in the world."

"If this ends up being Mom’s last holiday, I’ll cherish this memory forever," she continues, "knowing we did everything possible to make it her best one yet."

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