Saturday 28 May 2022 10:37 AM Simon Thomas reveals he and son Ethan, 12, had counselling for two years after ... trends now
Simon Thomas has revealed that he and his son Ethan had therapy sessions after his wife Gemma died of blood cancer, with her symptoms being dismissed as 'stress'.
The Sky Sports presenter, 49, lost Gemma to blood cancer in 2017, just three days after she was diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia.
He said his late wife had started to experience headaches, night sweats, bruising and fatigue but her symptoms were dismissed as stress-related when she visited her local surgery three times.
Grief: Simon Thomas has revealed that he and his son Ethan had counselling after his wife Gemma (pictured in 2015) died of blood cancer with her symptoms being dismissed as 'stress'
In November 2017, she developed a bruise on her thigh and her headaches worsened, and she was later rushed to A&E but tragically died three days after her blood cancer diagnosis.
Simon said people aren't aware of the symptoms for blood cancer like they are breast cancer, despite it being the fifth most common cancer in the UK with more than 40,000 people being diagnosed with it each year.
Speaking about how he dealt with his wife's death, Simon said he and his son Ethan, 12, both had counselling sessions for around two years.
He told The Sun: 'We both benefited from having people to talk to and we both spent two years working with our individual counsellors.'
Tragic: The Sky Sports presenter, 49, lost his wife Gemma (both pictured with Ethan) to blood cancer in 2017, just three days after being diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia
Simon said Ethan has had to develop emotional maturity and do a lot of growing up after tragically losing his mother at a young age.
The father said May is a difficult month for his family as it marks Gemma's birthday, with Simon adding that they visit communal land by their old house's garden on the occasion.
The former Blue Peter presenter said instead of visiting a graveyard, they visit a tree they planted in the spot near their old house beside the River Thames in May 2018.
Two years after Gemma's death, Simon found love with legal professional Derrin Jebb, 31, and they tied the knot in a ceremony at Norwich Cathedral in July last year.
During the Covid-19 crisis, Simon lost his beloved father but despite their trauma, they are still raising money for charity and are on the waiting list to house a Ukrainian family.
Cancer: He said his GEmma had started to experience headaches, bruising and fatigue but her symptoms were dismissed as stress-related when she visited her local surgery three times
Simon said his son Ethan was taught not to 'take things for granted' after the tragic loss of his mother and wanted to help Ukrainian families who have been forced to flee their war-torn country amid Russia's invasion.
'[Ethan] understands lives being turned upside down so he's been really keen to help,' Simon added.
Ethan has also raised funds for charity Grief Encounter, while Simon supports Blood Cancer UK and is currently promoting a competition for
