It has been six months since Teen Mom 3 star Mackenzie McKee’s mother Angie Douthit was diagnosed with stage four cancer in her lungs and in her brain, and since that time she has been sharing inspirational updates on her journey and reflections on her life online. The uplifting and Christ-centric posts have garnered quite the following, and Angie recently announced she will officially be telling her life story in print after signing a book deal!
“God has done so much in my life that I couldn’t imagine not sharing it in a book,” Angie began her announcement on Wednesday. “I’ve witnessed so many miracles and so many blessings. I know that God wants to use my story to inspire someone to never give up and to remember that we all have the power to triumph.”
Angie continues:
“I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed a publishing deal with 13th & Joan Publishing House to pen my journey in a book. I’m very excited about this journey and I am even more excited about sharing it with the world. It’s time for me to write a new chapter!
Angie’s daughter Mackenzie also shared the news with a photo of her mom on Instagram and this caption:
My family means everything to me. We’ve got so many stories to tell. I’m super excited that my mom @angiedouthit is sharing her fight against cancer to inspire others to never give up. She just officially signed a publishing deal with 13th & Joan Publishing House (@13thandjoan) to write her story of fighting cancer. I can’t wait for her to inspire the world!
It’s a wonderful thing that Angie has been given this opportunity as her writings have certainly uplifted so many people already! So far there has not been a title or a release date announced, but we will keep our eyes and ears open. (I assume that the title will be Angie’s mantra Always Be Kind, but that is purely speculation.)
I should also point out, in case you missed the announcement, that MTV has been back with the Douthit family and are reportedly documenting Angie’s journey as well. Although there are rumors of Mackenzie joining either Teen Mom 2 or Teen Mom OG as a cast member, it is believed that Angie’s story will merit some sort of stand-alone “Being Angie” type special or miniseries.
What may surprise some to find out is that this book venture will not be the first for Angie. As we were the first to report waaaaaaay back before Mackenzie made her television debut on 16 and Pregnant, Angie published the book Life With Mike detailing what it was like to take 38-year-old Mike Williams Douthit, who has Down’s Syndrome, into their home in 1991. Here is a summary of the book:
Life with Mike is a true story about living with, caring for, and loving a man with Down’s syndrome.
Mike Williams Douthit lived with Down’s Syndrome for 55 years. During the last 17 years of his life, after his biological mother passed, he was blessed to be cared for by the devoted mother he deserved, author Angie R. Douthit, and the father he had always longed for, Brad Douthit, plus the sisters and brothers he had constantly hoped for, Whitney, Kaylee, Mackenzie,and Zeke.
This story focuses on how a person with Down syndrome can so effortlessly change and bless so many lives, and does so in a humorous, tender, and heartfelt way. Mike inspired the author and her family to view life with a novel and fresh perspective… with unconditional family love and a hug for one and all.
Author Angie R. Douthit wrote this touching story to help herself move through the grieving process after Mike’s death. She is inspired by her family and by God. Douthit works as a National Board Certified third-grade teacher and is currently working on her master’s degree as a reading specialist. Douthit grew up in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, and now resides in Miami, Oklahoma, where serving Christ and taking care of her family is her greatest passions.
Life With Mike is now out of print, and due to Mackenzie’s fame, it’s become quite the collector’s item. The current lowest price for a used copy is $1,250 on Amazon!
Mackenzie shook her head at the prices after talking about the book on a recent episode of her new Mack Raw and Unfiltered podcast:
Talked about my moms first book she wrote about her son with downs syndrome on my podcast and people with original copies trying to sale for
— Mackenzie McKee (@DouthitKenzie) May 25, 2018
14,000 on amazon ? Get out of here with that.
— Mackenzie McKee (@DouthitKenzie) May 25, 2018
I actually bought a copy when I wrote the initial post in 2012, but I sure would hate to break up my Teen Mom book collection! 🙂
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm.
