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Lucille Ball's Great-Granddaughter Has Died at 31 from Breast Cancer

Desiree S. Anzalone, the great-granddaughter of the legendary Lucille Ball, has sadly passed away at the young age of 31 after a battle with stage 4 breast cancer.

The family confirmed to People that Desiree died on September 27 at Smilow Cancer Center in Connecticut, just weeks after her 31st birthday.

Desiree was the first great-grandchild of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Sr. She was the granddaughter of Desi Arnaz Jr. and the daughter of Julia Arnaz and Mario Anzalone.

Julia told People that Desiree died “peacefully” and that “watching her slip away was just, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. No mother should have to watch that.”

“She was so special. All our children are special, but this little girl was something else,” she adds. “We were [best friends]. We are still,” Julia added. “She was so beautiful, just so so beautiful inside and out. She really, really reminded me a lot of my grandmother, more so than I.”

Desiree was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 24. Back then it was stage two cancer and she was treated through chemotherapy and then a double mastectomy. The cancer returned as stage four in 2018 and it spread to her liver, lungs, and bones.

Julia says that the pandemic prevented her from being with Desiree as much as she would have liked to be in her final months.

“The COVID-19 kept us apart, so I wasn’t able to see her as much as I usually do because she was compromised and I didn’t want her getting sick in any kind of way,” Julia said. “So I wasn’t able to spend as much time with her as I normally do because of the COVID since March. I mean, I saw her, but not as much; we’d hang out every day practically she was here. Plus, she lived with me for a while.”

We’re sending our thoughts and condolences to all of Desiree‘s loved ones during this difficult time.