Supporting a Partner During a Health Challenge
- Ed Sheeran recently revealed that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, got a scary tumor diagnosis while she was pregnant last year.
- An upcoming release from Disney+ will likely reveal more details about his wife’s health battle. In a trailer for the docu-series, Sheeran shared a sentiment very relatable to anyone supporting a loved one through a health battle: “Life is unpredictable. Plans can change, really quickly.”
- One of our experts says it’s “important that you surround yourself with individuals who care and support you” during a cancer journey, but this can also be very true for any sort of health battle.
- That being said, supporting and caring for a loved one is hard. One caregiver said laughter played a huge role while he helping his parents through their cancer journeys.
Sheeran recently shared that his wife, 30-year-old Cherry Seaborn, had to deal with a very scary health issue during her pregnancy with the couple's second child.
Read More"I've always been very guarded in my personal and private life; the only documentary I've ever made has been one that focused on my songwriting," Sheeran said of the new project. "Disney approached me to make a four-part documentary, and it felt like the right time to open the door and let people in. I hope people enjoy it."
In the official trailer for the series, Sheeran explains how wonderful life became when he met Seaborn. And how fast things changed when her “really bad” health struggles arrived.

“Everything in my life sort of got so much better when Cherry got into it,” he said. “I’ve got married, and I’m a dad who has two daughters.
“We’ve reached our peak and then… Cherry’s health.”
RELATED: 'A Sacred And Blessed Calling': Managing Life As a Caregiver
In a sentiment very relatable to anyone who’s supported a loved one through a health battle, Sheeran said simply: “Life is unpredictable. Plans can change, really quickly.”
Supporting a Partner During a Health Battle Like Ed Sheeran
Facing any sort of health battle can be extremely overwhelming. So, receiving support in the right ways is crucial.
"Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience," licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. "Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much… [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.
"Studies have found consistently that loneliness is a significant risk factor for physical and mental illnesses and the trajectory of recovery… Therefore, it will be important that you surround yourself with individuals who care and support you throughout your treatment."
Partners can play a huge role in providing that necessary support. Actress Jill Kargman found that her melanoma truly tested the strength of her relationship. She says cancer "[was] a great way to find out if you're with the love of your life or a shithead."
Jill Kargman on Relationships and Cancer
"I think it presses the fast forward button on getting to the bottom of that answer, because a lot of people in middle age are kind of at a crossroads, waiting for their kids to fly the coop," Kargman told SurvivorNet. "I think if you're with someone who is not supportive and kind of emotionally checked out or doesn't tell you you're still beautiful with that, this might not be your person."
But, as Ed Sheeran can surely attest to, supporting a loved one through a health battle is not easy. In a previous conversation with SurvivorNet, comedian Jesus Trejo explained how much laughter helped him care for his parents after his mother was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor and his father later faced colon cancer.
Stand-Up Comedian & Cancer Caregiver Jesus Trejo Reminds Us that 'Laughter Is a Game-Changer'
"The only advice I have for anyone watching this is laugh and laugh often, laugh at yourself," Trejo said. "Don't take yourself seriously. Things are already bad. Because once you do that, it's a game-changer."
He says the laughter might be brief, but "the effects of it just reverberate through your body, and can change an already bad situation into a better one."
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