James Van Der Beek’s motivational and viral video that already has more than 200,000 likes: “What cancer taught me”
The ‘Dawson’s Creek’ actor revealed the effects that his Stage 3 colorectal cancer diagnosis has had on him and his family.
Actor James Van Der Beek, best known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery on ‘Dawson’s Creek', announced last year that he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He first received the diagnosis in August 2023 but had been “privately dealing” with the news, alongside his family.
Since then Van Der Beek has largely kept private about his battle with cancer but a recent social media post has given an insight into his struggles to come to terms with the illness. On Saturday, shortly after his 48th birthday, he shared a video on Instagram entitled ‘What Cancer Taught Me’.
In the video he described the past year as “the hardest of my life” and revealed that he had struggled to come to terms with the fact that would have to be away from his family while undergoing treatment.
“When I was younger, I used to define myself as an actor, which was never all that fulfilling, and then I became a husband and it was much better and then I became a father and that was the ultimate,” Van Der Beek explained. “All of those definitions that I cared so deeply about were stripped from me.”
“I was away for treatment, so I could no longer be a husband who was helpful to my wife,” he continued. “I could no longer be a father who could pick up his kids and put them to bed and be there for them. I could not be a provider because I wasn’t working.”
“I was faced with the question, ‘If I am just a too-skinny, weak guy, alone in an apartment with cancer, what am I?’”
However Van Der Beek’s journey took a turn when he made peace with the fact that he was not diminished by his cancer diagnosis. Instead, he was able draw strength from his religion and ended the video with a motivation message to all watching.
“I am worthy of God’s love simply because I exist,” he said. “And if I’m worthy of God’s love, shouldn’t I also be worthy of my own?”
“As I move through this healing portal toward recovery,” Van Der Beek continued, “I wanted to share that with you because that revelation that came to me was in no small part to all the prayers and the love that had been directed toward me.”
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