Actress Mindy Kaling Surprises Fans With News She Had a Baby Boy, 8 Years After Losing Her Mom to Pancreatic Cancer

Kaling had the "secret baby" on September 3. The 41-year-old actress and single mother also has a 2 year-old daughter, Katherine Swati, whose middle name is Kaling's late mom's first name. (Her daughter goes by "Kit.")

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In addition to now being a mother of two  Kaling has kept very busy the past two decades, as an actress of The Office, the star and creator of The Mindy Project, the producer of Never Have I Ever, and not to mention the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and Why Not Me?

Related: Patrick Swayze Died 11 Years Ago From Pancreatic Cancer; Today We're Encouraged By Others Battling the Disease Like Alex Trebek & Harry Reid

Kaling kept the news of her pregnancy private, given the events of the year. She did not want to publicize such joyous news during such a hard, sad, grief-filled pandemic year.

Grieving Her Mom

The Mindy Project actress knows firsthand the toll that grief can take. Kaling lost her mother, Dr. Swati Chokalingam, to pancreatic cancer in 2012. She has spoken about how she wished her mom were still living so that she could meet her daughter (and now, son).

This year on Mother's Day, Kaling shared a sweet post of her and her daughter on Instagram, and also honored those who  like her  were missing their moms on that May day. Kaling wrote:

"Sending a little extra love today to all of the moms, and to anyone who may be missing theirs right now. It's nice how through my daughter, I am able to experience memories with my own mom. If you have a favorite memory about your mom or mother figure, I'd love to hear!"

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In her books, Kaling recalls her mom's incredible work ethic as a gynecologist, and calls her mom "the love my life." Dr. Chokalingam was a practicing physician for thirty years. When she passed away, her family was at her side. Her family requested donations be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in lieu of flowers.

Understanding Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer affects the pancreas and can spread to other parts of the body. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the most common type of this cancer is pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Less common are pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs), which is what Apple founder Steve Jobs had, and passed from in 2011.

Related: 3 Key Pancreatic Cancer Red Flags to Look Out For; Some Were Present in Alex Trebek & Patrick Swayze

Pancreatic cancer accounts for approximately 3% of all cancers in the U.S., and it's slightly more common in men than in women. Risk factors for this cancer, according to the ACS, include:

• Using tobacco
• Being overweight
• Being diabetic
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
• Exposure to chemicals (particularly chemicals used in the dry cleaning and metalworking industries)

There is currently no standard diagnostic tool or early detection method for this cancer, says the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN). But researchers all over the world are working to create early detection methods, which can hopefully save the lives of many people to come.

Detecting Pancreatic Cancer Early Is Crucial

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