Raul Malo’s Wife Betty Says They Are Living in “Hell” Amid His Cancer Battle

Raul Malo’s wife is getting candid about his cancer battle. In a post to Facebook, Betty Malo shared a video of her family opening up fan mail.

Videos by American Songwriter

“As a family, we sit together and open every single get-well card Raul receives,” she wrote alongside the clip. “He reads each one, and we take in every word. They come from all over the world, reminding us how deeply he is loved.”

“What touches us the most are the stories—those moments when people share how his music carried them through their own battles with illness, grief, or loss,” Betty continued. “Now, your messages have become our songs.”

Fans’ messages, Betty wrote, “are what carry us through this hell we are living in, giving us strength on the days we need it most.”

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your love, your prayers, and your support,” she added. “And to everyone who has donated to Raul’s GoFundMe: please know that your generosity is helping us fight for the best care possible. We feel your kindness in every step of this journey. We are so grateful.”

Raul Malo’s Cancer Battle

The Mavericks’ frontman first disclosed his cancer diagnosis in June 2024. Since then, he’s gone through many rounds of chemotherapy, had surgery, and been hospitalized.

As for the band, The Mavericks revealed that they’ll be taking an indefinite amount of time off amid Raul’s battle with stage 4 colon cancer.

In September, Raul offered an update to fans. In it, he revealed that he’s been diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease, an incurable cancer surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

“I am in no way alone, or scared,” Raul wrote on Instagram at the time, specifically pointing to his “amazing wife and boys, wonderful family, team, road crew, band, friends and fans.”

He added, “I don’t even have enough words to describe the love and support that I’m getting right now.”

Around the same time, the Malo family created a GoFundMe to support Raul amid his health battle. As of publishing time, the fundraiser has raised more than $250,000.

Photo by Sara Kauss/Getty Images