Johnny Ruffo’s girlfriend delivers moving tribute one year on from his passing

In a show of solidarity, fans and close friends rallied around Sims, offering her love and support as she faces this difficult anniversary.

“Thinking of you and sending a world of love,” one wrote.

“Such beautiful words, sending you all the love gorgeous girl.”

“Your love story was one of my all time favorites. Whoever said time heals lied. Your so strong and admirable and one day you will be together again im a huge believer in that. All my thoughts and love being sent your way,” commented another.

“Really sad knowing you lost him a year ago but nice to see his face on my feed again ❤️ sending love.”

Ruffo was first diagnosed with brain cancer back in 2017 when what he believed to be a migraine turned out to be a very serious brain tumour.

Speaking with Who Magazine’s podcast Who Are You back in 2018, Ruffo recalled the terrifying ordeal, revealing that his girlfriend saved his life by rushing him to the hospital after he complained of a painful migraine.

She received devastating news the next morning after doctors revealed that Ruffo had slipped into a coma due to a fist-sized tumour in his brain, which may have been growing for up to 10 years.

“The doctor said, ‘If you didn’t come in [to the hospital], you would have gone to sleep and you would have been dead’,” Ruffo said at the time.

“Basically [the tumour was] the size of my fist in my frontal lobe, so all that pressure was being put on my brain, which explains the severe headaches and blackouts.”

After successfully removing the tumour in 2017, Ruffo devastated fans when he penned a heartbreaking post announcing his brain cancer had returned in 2020.

Throughout his battle, Ruffo kept his fans updated on social media, offering insights into his second fight with the disease.