Reality TV star Jonnie Irwin, 50, is making creating positive, lasting memories for his family a priority amid his stage 4 lung cancer journey. By focusing on the positive, Irwin’s emotional health is boosted while continuing treatment to manage his symptoms.
Irwin admitted he struggled to share his stage 4 lung cancer with his family. Last year, he shared the cancer had spread or metastasized to his brain.
When you’re dealing with stage 4 lung cancer, efforts shift from seeking a cure to learning how to live with your disease and managing your symptoms.
Parents living with cancer are encouraged to be as honest with their children as possible when explaining their condition with language that they can understand at their age.
Experts recommend anyone facing cancer should make sure they continue to prioritize their overall well-being, which includes emotional health, by doing things they love.
Positive psychology is a different approach to managing your mental health. This approach can be beneficial to people who are dealing with an illness like cancer because it focuses on aspects of your life that conjure up positive emotions unrelated to cancer.
“Escape to the Country” star Jonnie Irwin, 50, shares a heartwarming video of him and his young sons in the snow. He’s made making lasting memories for his family his top priority ever since he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, and that’s exactly what he continues to do mere days after a milestone birthday he didn’t think he’d reach.
“Snow + toboggan – fun times,” Irwin wrote in an Instagram post showing snow sledding with one of his three young sons.
“I’m 62, and I remember my dad taking me sledding. Your boys will remember these days forever,” Instagram user Elaine Minto commented.
“Making beautiful memories with the best fun and the best dad,” Instagram user Jackie Ann Scott also commented.
Irwin is on the heels of a birthday getaway with his family on the beautiful coasts of Spain. The reality TV star turned 50 this year, and he admitted the celebration was his second this year because he didn’t think he’d make it to his actual birthday this past November.
“I had an early birthday party at the start of the year because I didn’t think I’d make it. It was like being in my own wake: lots of fun and dancing. But here I am. I view it as a complete triumph,” Irwin said to Hello Magazine during an interview.
(@jonnieirwintv/Instagram)
Irwin says his metastatic lung cancer diagnosis and subsequent journey have strengthened his sense of gratitude towards life and the loved ones he cherishes.
“Every little thing is so valuable to me…Every little thing you take for granted means something to me. It’s another memory. It’s so special,” Irwin said.
Irwin’s gratitude positively impacts his cancer battle because staying positive and practicing gratitude are important parts of the journey for cancer patients.
Dr. Zuri Murrell of Cedars-Sinai says this helps a cancer patient’s prognosis.
“A positive attitude is really important,” Dr. Murrell told SurvivorNet.
“My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK. Now, doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow,” Dr. Murrell says.
Positivity coupled with gratitude further contributes to the outlook of cancer patients. Living with gratitude means being thankful for what you have and showing appreciation in your everyday life, and it can be helpful for those struggling with mental hardships.
Focusing on the positive is part of positive psychology. According to Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist, positive psychology means focusing on encouraging feelings and finding what brings you a sense of vitality instead of focusing on the illness.
Dr. Boardman says positive psychology is a different approach to managing your mental health. This approach can massively benefit people with an illness like cancer because it focuses on finding those great parts of life.
SurvivorNet previously spoke with other cancer survivors, and each found helpful ways to stay positive during treatment.
Ananda Lewis is one of the cancer survivors who shared how she focused on the positive during her cancer journey. While battling stage three breast cancer, she worked to take control of her emotions.
WATCH: TV host Ananda Lewis’s cancer journey.
Jonnie Irwin’s Cancer Battle
Jonnie Irwin’s cancer journey began when symptoms arrived in August 2020. His first symptom occurred during a filming trip when his vision blurred while driving. After he returned home, he was told he had metastatic lung cancer that had spread to his brain.
We should note that we do not know the exact type of lung cancer Irwin has. But there are two main types of lung cancer, which doctors group together based on how they act and how they’re treated:
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type and makes up about 85% of cases.
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is less common, but it tends to grow faster than NSCLC and is treated very differently.
“Lung cancer kills more patients than prostate, colon, breast, and pancreas combined. And the reason is it’s completely asymptomatic. It causes no issues until it has spread somewhere,” thoracic surgeon Dr. Joseph Friedberg tells SurvivorNet.
A chest X-ray that shows something unusual can be the beginning of a lung cancer diagnosis once doctors further examine the anomaly.
WATCH: Diagnosing lung cancer.
Irwin has taken chemotherapy and other cancer drugs to help prolong his life, but he knows his disease does not technically have a cure. Still, he focuses on the positive and is determined to make as many memories as possible with his wife, Jessica Holmes, and their three toddler-age boys.
“One day, this is going to catch up with me,” Irwin previously told U.K.-based news outlet “The Sun.”
After learning about the progression of his cancer, Irwin admitted he struggled to share the news with his wife, Jess.
“I had to go home and tell my wife, who was looking after our babies, that she was on her own pretty much. That was devastating,” Irwin said.
Irwin’s been reluctant to share details about his health with his young sons.
“It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around. And it would confuse the hell out of Rex (the eldest). He’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible,” Irwin said.
WATCH: Talking to kids about cancer.
Rather than letting the weight of his cancer diagnosis weigh him down, Irwin is trying to keep a positive outlook on life.
“I don’t know how long I have left, but I try to stay positive, and my attitude is that I’m living with cancer, not dying from it,” Irwin said.
If parents are nervous before this conversation, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin said children can pick up on their emotions, so it may help to check in with yourself beforehand.
“Having these conversations may bring up deep emotions you may have stowed away. There is nothing wrong with showing our emotions to children as long as we can remain calm and give them a sense of safety,” Dr. Strongin said.
Irwin focuses much of his time and energy on creating moments and lasting memories for his sons.
“I want to make plans. I want to make memories and capture these moments with my family because the reality is, my boys are going to grow up not knowing their dad, and that breaks my heart,” Irwin explained.
“But I’m doing everything I can to hold that day off for as long as possible. I owe that to Jess and our boys. Some people in my position have bucket lists, but I just want us to do as much as we can as a family.”
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Chase said. “So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities,” Dr. Chase says.
Irwin has since taken chemotherapy and other cancer drugs to help prolong his life.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you are in the middle of a cancer journey and are looking to improve your emotional health, consider what you’re grateful for. To begin, ask yourself the following questions to kickstart your journey to achieve gratitude.
What can I do if I’m struggling to be thankful for what I have in my life?
Are there local resources for people wishing to improve their mental health?
What else can I do to help reduce my stress level during my cancer journey?
Kavontae Smalls is a writer and reporter for SurvivorNet. Read More
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