Jean-Christophe Novelli is hoping for the "best Christmas ever" now his baby son is cancer free.
The 56-year-old chef and his fiancee Michelle Kennedy were stunned last year when little Valentino, now 15 months, was diagnosed with inoperable neuroblastoma when he was just six weeks old, but after going through gruelling chemotherapy, the tot was given the all-clear earlier this year, and now the couple are looking forward to a happy festive period with the youngster and his older brothers Jean, nine, and five-year-old Jacques.
He told HELLO! magazine: "I can’t wait to wake up on Christmas morning with my fiancée Michelle and our three boys around me.
"After the nightmare ordeal we’ve been through, this time of year means so much more than it ever did. Last Christmas was the worst of my life, but this year it’s going to be the best."
And the chef – who is also father to 31-year-old Christina from his first marriage – is delighted to see how much stronger the youngster has got over the last few months.
He said: "Valentino is growing stronger every day. Remembering how awful it was when he never smiled during his treatment, it’s the best sound in the world to hear him laugh."
The family faced further trying times in February when Michelle was rushed to hospital with deep vein thrombosis and Jean-Christophe admitted the struggles changed him as a person because he lost his "spark".
He recalled: "It was a very dark time. I had to stay calm and be there for her and the boys. I realise now that the trauma we went through changed me. I had everything I’d ever wanted – a beautiful ‘wife’, a daughter and three sons – hen faced losing two people I loved most. The agony and uncertainty drained me, I lost my spark.
"Even after they recovered, I kept asking myself, ‘What if the result had been different."
But with the dark days behind them, Jean-Christophe and Michelle are now looking ahead to their big day, where Valentino will cement his recovery by serving as a pageboy.
Michelle said: "Seeing him as a little pageboy alongside his brothers will be so sweet. With him in our lives we thank our lucky stars every day."
Jean-Christophe Novelli looking forward to Christmas
