Rob Delaney spent Christmas Day remembering his young son Henry.
The ‘Catastrophe’ star and his wife Leah were struck by tragedy earlier this year when the toddler lost his battle brain cancer aged just two years old, and though the holiday was "okay", the 41-year-old actor admitted the period leading up to December 25 had been "horrible".
He tweeted: "Our first Christmas without Henry came & went.
"The day itself was okay, maybe because there were so many horrible, painful days leading up to it; we must have hit our quota or something. We talked about him a lot & included his memory throughout the day.(sic)"
Rob, who also has two sons aged five and six and is expecting another child with Leah, hopes speaking openly about his grief offers some comfort and support to other family members in a similar situation.
He added: "I speak publicly about Henry in an effort to destigmatise grief. My family is sad & in pain because our beautiful 2 year old boy died after a long illness.
"Why wouldn’t we be sad? Why wouldn’t we be angry and confused?
"Tweets like this aren’t therapeutic to me, nor are they ‘updates’.
"I just want other bereaved parents & siblings to feel seen/heard/respected/loved.
"And maybe they might help someone not schooled in grief support a friend better. I don’t know.(sic)"
The ‘Deadpool 2’ actor previously spoke of Henry’s gruelling medical ordeal after revealing he had passed away.
He posted in February: "I have very sad news. My two and a half year old son Henry has passed away. Henry had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, shortly after his first birthday, following persistent vomiting and weight loss. He had surgery to remove the tumor and further treatment through the early part of 2017. Then the cancer returned last autumn and he died in January.
"My wife and Henry’s older brothers and I are devastated of course. Henry was a joy. He was smart, funny, and mischievous and we had so many wonderful adventures together, particularly after he’d moved home following fifteen months living in hospitals. His tumor and surgery left him with significant physical disabilities, but he quickly learned sign language and developed his own method of getting from A to B shuffling on his beautiful little bum. His drive to live and to love and to connect was profound.
"I am astonished by the love-in-action displayed by Henry’s mom and his brothers. They are why I will endeavor to not go mad with grief. I don’t want to miss out on their beautiful lives. I’m greedy for more experiences with them."
Rob Delaney remembered son
