She grew up with her mother, Suzanne Callahan-Howe, but with no father around.
However, she was always told that she had a Hollywood family pedigree, according toPage Six.
When she was old enough, Julia decided to find out if what her mother said was true.
Was Desi Arnaz Jr. really her father?
Ball’s death, however, prompted her to find out if what her mother said was true.
“By this time, I’m 18 and over.
He could have said, ‘Yeah she’s my kid, whatever.’
But he didn’t.
He helped me very much through my life and helped my daughter through college.”
Julia also has a younger sister through her father.
He spent most of his time there with his wife Amy Bargiel and their daughter Haley.
Sadly, Amy died in 2015.
Julia toldPEOPLEthat her daughter was first diagnosed with cancer when she was 25 but had then gone into remission.
The cancer later returned, and Julia was there for her daughter during her last days.
“Watching her slip away was just, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.
No mother should have to watch that,” Julia said.
“She was so special.
She really, really reminded me a lot of my grandmother, more so than I.”
“Those four or five months, it’s a huge difference,” Julia told Page Six.
But she really advocated for herself and I encourage other young women to do this."
“It’s [Desiree] working through me,” she said.
“She is God’s working angel and that’s what keeps me going.”
