Human Interest Real People Real People Married Life Doubling Down with the Derricos' Deon Derrico Told Karen 'I Cannot Do This Without You' Before Their Divorce After suffering a medical scare on the June 18 episode of the TLC show, Karen Derrico vowed to "focus" on herself and her dreams as Deon reiterated his commitment to her and the family By Esther Kang Esther Kang Esther Kang is a writer at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023 and has previously worked for publications like TMZ and TooFab. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 18, 2024 09:00PM EDT Close Deon and Karen Derrico on 'Doubling Down with the Derricos'. Photo: TLC Karen Derrico and Deon Derrico appeared to fully committed to each other before they filed for divorce. On the Tuesday, June 18 episode of Doubling Down with the Derricos, Karen suffered an emergency health scare during a family vacation to hit the slopes. After collapsing on the ground, she revealed she had an irregular heartbeat and felt "weak." Her vitals read as normal when the paramedics arrived and they chalked up her fainting spell as altitude sickness and dehydration. With the entire family still shaken up by Karen's collapse, her husband Deon organized a private dinner where they reflected on the scary possibility of what could have been. "I didn't see us being here right now. That's how severe it was," Deon said of her medical emergency as Karen grew emotional. Doubling Down with the Derricos' Deon and Karen Derrico Are Divorced, Splitting Custody of 13 Minor Children Karen Derrico. Karen Derrico/Instagram In a conversation with cameras, the Derricos family matriarch admitted that she "didn't know what was going on" until she saw her loved one's "worried" faces. Though she felt disoriented, she knew one thing for sure: "I need to be okay for my children." "My thing is, baby, you think about how today went, none of this other crap matters," Deon continued. "The stress of the house, painting, the flooring, you wanting Darian to go to college, none of that mattered while you were on that ground today." "We just need our family and our health," he said as Karen agreed. "[When] we go back home, you know, we're going back to the house that has all these challenges and issues. But it's like our reality is, no matter what we can get through it. I cannot do this without you." Doubling Down with the Derricos' Karen Derrico Praises 'Best Father Ever' Deon Days After Divorce Bombshell Karen returned her husband sentiments and added, "I don't want to do it without you" before proposing a toast to "reflection" as well as health, love and family. The following day, the family went out for a celebratory breakfast in honor of Karen's recovery. After their children went around sharing the thing they loved most about their mother, Karen told cameras of how the experience helped her realize she need to prioritize herself. "Going through something like that, it definitely jolts you," she confessed. "It just made me say, 'Karen, you need to focus on yourself. What is it that Karen wants?'" At the breakfast table, Karen told Deon of how the scare had triggered a "time of reflection." (L) Deon Derrico and Karen Derrico. TLC 'Doubling Down with the Derricos' ' Karen Attends Therapy Session to 'Get Help' After Miscarriage "I'm just looking for like Karen the woman," she explained, before sharing how she wanted to pursue her passion of helping other women with motherhood through opening up about her own journey. "There's more that I want to do, I just have to figure out the right path in order to get to where I want to be and go," Karen elaborated to cameras. "And I've done put everybody else first in my life. It's time for me to do me." On June 4, Deon and Karen filed for divorce after 19 years of marriage. Their split became official when a judge signed off on the divorce two days later. In a statement shared with PEOPLE shortly after the news, the estranged couple revealed that they were "unified" in parenting their 14 children following their separation. “Together, we remain unified in the parenting of our 14 beautiful children — their well-being is our priority," they said. "We thank everyone for their understanding and support as we move forward for the good of our family." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Doubling Down with the Derricos airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on TLC.