He’s one of Australia’s favourite TV personalities and Barry Du Bois has shared a heartfelt message on Father’s Day.
The star, who appears on Channel Ten’s The Living Room, paid tribute to his late father and also reflected on what being a dad means to him. Taking to Instagram, the photo shared a picture of himself with his father and some truly beautiful words.
“To be a father is a responsibility & a gift, you need strength & honesty you need to be compassionate, fearless supportive and loving,” he told his 57.7 thousand Instagram fans.
“My father taught me that not with word but in actions. I miss him so much it hurts but I have the gift of seeing him every day in my children. Love you Dad and happy Father’s Day to all.”
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The message came just hours after The Daily Telegraph published an interview with the 58-year-old. In it, the father-of-two explained that while Father’s Day is special, he appreciates every day he gets to spend with his beloved children Bennett and Arabella.
Barry announced that he had been diagnosed with plasmacytoma myeloma, cancer of the immune system, last year during an emotional episode of The Living Room. Sadly, the disease is terminal.
He explained to the publication that he looks forward to every day of his life, particularly because he’s on limited time.
“We are all on limited time,” he said. “My life, because of recent medical problems, might be shorter than most. So I cherish every moment.”
He said his beautiful family means everything to him and that he also gets to spend his work life with people he loves. It comes just weeks after he took a break from both work and cancer treatment for a family holiday to Disneyland in California.
At the time, the star said he wanted to create happy memories for the adorable twins, so he’s flown the entire family to the iconic theme park for some much-needed family time. In one photo, he stood alongside wife Leonie as the kids hitched piggyback rides from their parents to explore the magic of the park.
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Another showed his son having the time of his life on one of the rides at the theme park.
“Life is all about banking beautiful memories and Disneyland is the place to do it,” he said.
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In July, Barry underwent further cancer treatment and thanked the nurses and hospital staff who have continued to look after him. He received chemotherapy and announced that his cancer wasn’t completely curable, although he is receiving a new course of treatment.