Actor Rob Delaney and his wife, Leah, recently revealed they welcomed their fourth child — a son — in August, only seven months after the devastating loss of their 2-year-old, Henry, who died from brain cancer.
This December, Delaney told the U.K.’s The Sunday Times Magazine, “We likely would’ve had a fourth anyway. But I mean, there’s mixed feelings. It’s sort of like they touch each other a little bit, they exist in separate lanes. Having another child in no way, shape or form eases the grief of Henry dying.”
Exclusive interview: Rob Delaney opens up about grief and the death of his two-year-old son, Henry. Interview by @DeccaJourno https://t.co/iTGLBsF6Xx pic.twitter.com/bD40oIbNWH
— The Sunday Times Magazine (@TheSTMagazine) December 30, 2018
Delaney referred to his newborn son as “magical” in the same interview. “I want to gobble him up and he deserves our full attention and love,” he said. “And he grew in the same womb as Henry.”
This is the first Father’s Day since my beautiful Henry died. Love today to all dads & moms who’ve lost a child.🦉 pic.twitter.com/nUmO3Qeybd
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) June 17, 2018
Delaney has been very open on social media about the loss of his son. He posts frequently on Twitter about the process of grieving a child.
Receiving an unprompted, out of the blue text saying “Thinking of your beautiful Henry” (bonus if it’s accompanied by a picture they’d taken of him) always makes me feel warm & smile. https://t.co/rakoCWHUzg
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 29, 2018
“I tell people, I’m a balloon that is filled almost to the point of bursting, and when you bring up my dead son, it’s like you’ve let a little out. It’s like a gift,” he also told The Sunday Times. “I’m an ambassador from the f—king other side now, and I feel a bit of a responsibility, being in the public eye, to show people what grief looks like. It’s just so weird to me how we deny grief, how we shut it out.”
Tweets like this aren’t therapeutic to me, nor are they “updates”. I just want other bereaved parents & siblings to feel seen/heard/respected/loved. And maybe they might help someone not schooled in grief support a friend better. I don’t know.
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 26, 2018
On Wednesday, Delaney posted about his first Christmas without his son. “The day itself was okay, maybe because there were so many horrible, painful days leading up to it. We must have hit our quota or something. We talked about him a lot & included his memory throughout the day.”
Our first Christmas without Henry came & went. The day itself was okay, maybe because there were so many horrible, painful days leading up to it; we must have hit our quota or something. We talked about him a lot & included his memory throughout the day.
— rob delaney (@robdelaney) December 26, 2018
Henry was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, just after his first birthday. He died in January 2018.
“My wife and Henry’s older brothers are devastated of course,” Delaney said on Facebook back in February. “Henry was a joy. He was smart, funny and mischievous and we had so many wonderful adventures had together, particularly after he’d moved home following fifteen months living in hospitals. His tumor and surgery left him with significant physical disabilities, but he quickly learned sign language and developed his own method of getting from A to B shuffling on his beautiful little bum. His drive to live and to love and to connect was profound.”
He continued, “I am astonished by the love-in-action displayed by Henry’s mom and his brothers. They are why I will endeavor to not go mad with grief. I don’t want to miss out on their beautiful lives. I’m greedy for more experiences with them.”
We’re thrilled that the family has a new member, but we can’t imagine what a bittersweet time it is for them as well.
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