Gemma Thomas died just three days after she was first told she had a rare blood disease in 2017. Five years after her death, former Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas has been talking about grief. awareness and why it could get into politics.
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Simon Thomas talks about the death of his wife in 2018
Simon Thomas recalled how his late wife Gemma’s blood cancer symptoms were initially ignored and stressed the importance of raising awareness about the deadly disease.
Gemma’s mother visited her local GP three times complaining of headaches, night sweats, bruises and fatigue, but each time she was fired.
In November 2017, the wife of the former Blue Peter presenter saw that her symptoms were getting worse, but she was still told that possibly her food was stress-related.
After being rushed to A&E, Gemma was diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia and died three days later, on November 24.
Simon, who is currently promoting a competition to help Blood Cancer UK, was left with a broken heart and is only raising his 12-year-old son Ethan.
Simon Thomas shared a laugh with his son and wife Gemma, before he fell ill in 2017
Both received therapy for two years after Gemma’s devastating death, and Ethan’s counselor appeared on television.
“We both benefited from having people to talk to, and we both spent two years working with our individual counselors,” Simon told The Sun.
“Ethan’s counselor was an amazing guy named Colin. He’s an actor and a counselor and we saw him in a McDonald’s ad, but last week he was watching the John Darwin drama Canoe Man and he was there.
Simon’s heart was broken because of Gemma’s shocked death (
Image:
Internet unknown)
“I showed it to Ethan the next morning and we both loved seeing him.
Nearly five years after Gemma’s death, Simon has now remarried: he married lawyer Derrina Jebb in July last year.
The mixed family lives together in a new home, different from the house where Gemma lived with Simon and Ethan, with the former Sky Sports New presenter admitting that she always knew that “they would move after what happened.” .
Her old home, however, will always have a special place in her heart, as it is where a tribute to Gemma is found.
Ethan has a special place to visit in memory of his late mother (
Image:
Daily Mirror)
Instead of a grave for one’s mother, Simon and Ethan have planted something special in the common land by the river, outside their old garden.
“I didn’t want to, I didn’t want a grave and a cemetery because that’s not for us. But in May 2018 we planted a tree on his birthday and put a small plaque in the background,” Simon said in his last interview. .
After losing his father during the Covid-19 pandemic, the TV presenter has become more politically engaged in recent months, even admitting that he is considered for a period in public office.
Simon met Derrina by attending the same church (
Image:
simonthomastv / Instagram)
“The only way to change the culture of what’s going on is to put the cross at the polls or get involved, right?” Simon reflected, admitting that “one or two” people had suggested that he be executed in some way.
“I care about people and I have found the last few months politically difficult because I lost my father during the pandemic.
The presenter admitted that the last few weeks in the political news have really “angered” him and expressed his regret that so many people have not been able to say goodbye to their loved ones during the strict blockades.
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