During Sunday’s episode ofSister Wives,Christine, 49, and Ysabel, 18, headed to New Jersey so the teen could get an operation to correct her scoliosis. Kody, however, declined to join them, citing concerns about traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m not traveling with Christine and Ysabel on the way to surgery, I’m not going to surgery, I think it’s very risky,” he told the cameras. “I also feel like a total hypocrite if I’m not keeping the rules that I’m asking — begging, literally begging — everybody to keep.”
Ysabel, meanwhile, admitted that she was “nervous” about the surgery and Christine, who has sincesplit from Kody, wished he would be there to support his daughter.
“I mean, honestly, it’s Ysabel that I care about more. I think Ysabel is really going to have a hard time being without Kody because she really, really relies on him when she’s in pain,” Christine said in her confessional.
Christine and Ysabel Brown and Kody Brown.TLC
Ysabel later grew emotional while addressing her dad’s absence.
“I think his priorities are a little screwed up,” she told the cameras through tears. “And l don’t want to disrespect him because he is my dad and I understand, I do. I do understand why he’s doing it, it’s just really frustrating and really, really hard.”
Once they arrived in New Jersey, Christine and Ysabel spent two weeks quarantining at her sister’s house before Ysabel could actually get the surgery.
“I am worried and nervous about a big surgery like this, but while I’m with Ysabel, I’m going to be as upbeat as possible,” Christine said.
Discussing her daughter’s scoliosis, the mom of six said the x-rays “one of the hardest things” to look at because of the severity of the curve in Ysabel’s spine.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “The first time I saw her curve was heartbreaking, when I showed it to all the parents what her curve looked like… it’s hard. It’s hard to see an x-ray like that on your kid. It’s real hard.”
Kody Brown and Christine Brown.Christine Brown/INSTAGRAM
After meeting with the doctor, Ysabel said she was “super excited” to finally get the surgery, but Christine told the cameras that Kody’s absence was still weighing on her.
“Ysabel’s really hurt that Kody’s not here. She’s really hurt,” she said.
“I think I’m a little upset that he can’t go because he’s always talking about how family comes first,” Ysabel added in her own confessional. “But when it comes down to it, I need him there, and he’s not putting his daughter above the fear that he has of the pandemic.”
The episode then played a flashback clip of Kody and Christine first discussing the surgery, during which Kody insisted he wouldn’t fly out for it. “I’m trying to do what’s right for Ysabel,” Christine said at the time.
Brown family.TLC
One day before the surgery, Christine reflected on what it meant to her to get Ysabel the help for her back pain.
“I’ll feel like a good mom tomorrow, not that I don’t but just, I’ll finally be able to give her what I wanted to,” she said as the episode came to a close.
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In the teaser for next week, Christine says that Kody not being there for Ysabel’s surgery was “ripping her apart.”
The clip then shows Ysabel asking for her dad as she wakes up from the procedure. “Daddy?” she says. “Tell him I miss him.”
Sister Wivesairs Sundays (10 p.m. ET) on TLC.
source: people.com
