Sister of Famous TV Star, 49, Inspired By His Fighting Spirit Through Brave Stage 4 Cancer Battle: 'How Do You Do It?'

She commented after the “Escape to the Country” star shared a delightful video post of himself and co-star Jules Hudson, 53.

The two TV presenters embraced each other in an impassioned hug amid warm laughs at a recent red-carpet event. The moment was made more special because Jonnie Irwin has not made many public appearances since announcing his terminal cancer.

 

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A post shared by Jonnie Irwin (@jonnieirwintv)

"What an absolute fighter!" Amanda Irwin continued with her comment on the social media post.

Jonnie Irwin responded to his sister by saying, "I do it with the support of amazing people like you."

The last few years have been an emotional rollercoaster for Jonnie Irwin since learning he had advanced lung cancer in 2020. After learning more details about his cancer battle, he admitted he struggled to tell his wife.

He's chosen not to tell his young sons about his health. Instead, he's focused on spending as much time as he can with them so they can remember their dad with positivity.

Jonnie Irwin shared that when he's in pain, he opts for hospice care rather than staying at his family home and risking his children seeing him not feeling well. The tenacity of Irwin's cancer fight has drawn tons of support on social media alongside his supportive sister.

"He's amazing keeping going sweetie such a sh-t situation, but you keep smiling and that's the best thing to do. Hard as it is," one fan wrote to both Amanda and Jonnie on Instagram.

There is nothing like having support while battling cancer no matter where you are on your journey. Fortunately for Jonnie Irwin, his family, colleagues, and thousands of fans are standing by his side to lift his spirits every day.

Power of Support During Cancer

Jonnie Irwin's cancer diagnosis mirrors the experience of many cancer warriors coping with a diagnosis. Often a diagnosis is rife with emotions. To help navigate those feelings, Irwin's had a family to lean on to keep his fighting spirit high.

SurvivorNet experts encourage cancer patients to turn to their support system to help alleviate stress, anxiety, and other emotions associated with a diagnosis. A support system can be made up of loved ones like family and friends.

"Some people don't need to go outside of their family and friend's circle. They feel like they have enough support there," psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik tells SurvivorNet.

WATCH: Sharing your cancer diagnosis.

Your support group can also be made up of people who are not friends or family but they all come together in person or virtual to support each other while battling a similar cancer or disease. If support groups are hard to come by, you can also speak to your care team which may include mental health professionals who can offer emotional support.

For members of a support group uplifting a beloved cancer warrior, it's important to remember their emotions can be wide-ranging. In these moments, be patient and give the cancer patient the time they need to process their emotions.

"People can have a range of emotions…they can include fear, anger…and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process," Dr. Plutchik said.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you find yourself struggling with a diagnosis or helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions:

• When should I seek other interventions if I'm still struggling?
• How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
• What are the steps to finding a different therapist if the one I'm using is not working out?
• Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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