Simon Thomas’ family has suffered another devastating loss, one year after the death of his wife Gemma. The former Sky Sports presenter revealed that his father-in-law died on Wednesday from a similar disease to his daughter, leaving his nine-year-old son Ethan heartbroken.
"Life can be very cruel. Last night Gemma’s dad’s life reached its end as Myeloma took its final toll," Simon wrote on Instagram. "It’s devastating for Rebecca who in fourteen months has lost half of her family to #bloodcancer and heartbreaking for Ethan who only a month ago said, 'why do I keep losing everything I love?'"
© Photo: InstagramSimon Thomas has revealed the family has suffered another loss after the death of his wife
The former Blue Peter presenter added: “Now he’s lost the man with whom he had the most special of relationships – the man he called 'Pompa'." Simon posted three family photos of Gemma’s father, including one showing Ethan kissing him on the cheek as he smiled.
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The death is even more tragic as he died of a similar condition to Gemma, who was diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia just three days before she passed away. Simon has since opened up about both he and Ethan are dealing with their grief, telling Lorraine Kelly in July: "[Ethan's] doing good. He surprises me every day with how he's dealing with it. His grief is beginning to manifest itself a little bit more. In terms of immediate family, he's only got me. And a child wants to protect you and they don't want to necessarily tell you everything that's going on in their head."
Simon's father-in-law died on Wednesday
In November, Simon revealed that he had found love again one year after his wife’s death. He opened up about his new relationship on BBC Radio 5, saying that his new partner encourages him to discuss his late wife. He said: "I always feel comfortable talking about Gemma with her... Right from the early stages – she had this empathy towards me. She's Christian as well and that’s important to me as a man of faith. She’s been an incredible support for me. She was the only person who would always pick up the phone. What I saw in her, I saw in Gemma. When she said my phone is always on, she meant it."
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