“Henry was a joy” Catastrophe star Rob Delaney’s 2-year-old son has died
Whether you’re a fan of Rob and Sharon Horgan’s show Catastrophe, or a non-tv-watching human being, this very sad news of two-year-old Henry’s passing will prove heartbreaking.
Public statement
Rob took to Facebook over the weekend to let fans know what his family had been going through. We can’t imagine how difficult the last couple of years have been.
Rob explained that Henry got very sick, just after his first birthday, and was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Surgery to remove the tumour and further treatment followed in 2017, but – horrendously – the cancer returned late last year and young Henry died a few weeks ago, in January.
I have very sad news. My two and a half year year old son Henry has passed away. Henry had been diagnosed with a brain…
Posted by Rob Delaney on Friday, 9 February 2018
Gruelling treatment
The Catastrophe star says Henry’s tumour, and the surgery that followed, left the little boy with various disabilities, and that he’d spent 15 months in hospital battling the condition. Despite adversity, he said his little guy was full of spirit and cheeky cheer.
“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,” Rob said in a statement on Facebook. Rob and wife Leah have two other little boys.
Help, if you can
This is the first time Rob’s spoken publicly about Henry’s death, and he’s asked the media to leave his family alone as they come to terms with this unimaginable loss.
Rob thanked the NHS (National Health Service) staff for the love and care they showed his family and Henry, and urged anyone who was keen to honour Henry’s memory to donate to services that help families with very ill children. He specifically singled out Rainbow Trust and Noah’s Ark for the important work they do.
“Very sad news”
You can read Rob’s full statement – in his own words – about Henry below.
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.
The NHS nurses and doctors and the home carers and charity workers who helped our family survive Henry’s illness will be my heroes until the day I die. I am desperately sad right now, but I can say with authority that there is good in this world.
If you’d like to help other families in the UK with very sick children, please make a donation to Rainbow Trust (https://rainbowtrust.org.uk) or Noah’s Ark (https://www.noahsarkhospice.org.uk) in Henry’s name or in the name of someone you love. Our family would be in much worse shape right now if it weren’t for them. I would also urge you to take concrete and sustained action to support the NHS, however you can. Do not take it for granted.
Finally, I ask that you respect my family’s privacy regarding this matter. I have nothing else to say that I haven’t said here.
Thank you, beautiful Henry, for spending as much time with us as you did. We miss you so much.
