Stefán Karl Stefánsson, the actor best known for playing Robbie Rotten in LazyTown, has posted a sweet message on Facebook, thanking fans for their love, support and greetings.
As he celebrated his 42nd birthday on Monday, Stefán wrote: "Dear friends, wherever you are in the world. Thank you for all the beautiful birthday wishes today. This day is without a doubt one of the best days of all the 42 years I have now lived and may they be as many more. You are a very special group of people to me and thank you for always being there for me and my family through good and rough times. Hugs, Stefan Karl."
To celebrate his birthday, the actor was treated to a helicopter ride with his wife Steinunn and their four children. Steinunn posted some beautiful photos on Facebook taken by Jon Gustafsson showing Stefán making the most of his time out of hospital. The Icelandic actor is currently battling cancer. His actress wife announced the sad news on Facebook, saying that her husband's "candle burns rapidly".
The family are keeping their spirits high though, and Stefán was discharged from hospital shortly after his wife's 48th birthday earlier this month. On her special day, the children's TV star paid tribute to his wife, praising her for her "sincerity, openness, unconditional love, determination".
He wrote: "I watch her enjoy the role of mother more and more every day and her care for the children is inexhaustible, not to mention me in the position I am today." The actor concluded the lengthy post: "I love you more than anything in this solar system, and I look forward to spending the next few years with you with laughter and joy as the past 14 years have been with us."
Stefan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2016, and has since gone through several rounds of surgery and chemo. When he went for his final check-up this year, doctors found two tumours that metastasized and had to be surgically removed. His wife wrote on Facebook: "The disease is now advanced to stage four, and therefore, his life expectancy is unfortunately significantly reduced."
