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Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Witney Carson will no longer participate in an upcoming Dancing with the Stars Live! tour in light of her father-in-law's battle with cancer. The 24-year-old professional dancer announced in an Instagram post Wednesday that she is pulling out of the show's winter tour to focus on family as her father-in-law's condition worsens.
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"My sweet father-in-law has been dealing with pancreatic cancer for the last year and a half," Carson wrote of her father-in-law, Kevin McAllister. "The cancer has spread throughout his entire abdomen. We are so blindsided and still in shock."
"The doctors have explained there is nothing that they can do and have told us that we only have a few weeks with him before the cancer takes his life," she added. "After much heartache and discussion, Kevin has decided to fight it and try another aggressive chemotherapy treatment."
"My heart hurts to tell you all that I will not be able to do the DWTS tour this winter," the star said. "This is an extraordinarily difficult time for us, I hope all of you can understand that my place is here with my family. Right now, my focus needs to be on my family & especially on my husband."
Sources told Entertainment Tonight the tour will not replace Carson, who was to be partnered with actor Frankie Muniz. The pair competed together in Season 25, coming in third place.
Carson married Carson McAllister outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in January 2016. The couple started dating during their senior year of high school, although McAllister had a crush on Carson for years.
"She was my dream girl since 7th grade. But she didn't know I existed until senior year," McAllister told People after their wedding. "We became really close friends and kinda started dating. From the second I got to know her, I could tell she was the most loving and understanding girl I'd ever met."
