Since being diagnosed with brain cancer last month, Johnny Ruffo has kept fans up to date with his progress.
And now the actor is shining a light on who he calls “the real stars” – his radiotherapy team.
Taking to Instagram on Tuesday evening, the 29-year-old posted a snap of him with the doctors and nurses who are looking after him as he undergoes radiotherapy.
“These guys are the real stars, my amazing radiotherapy team,” Johnny penned.
After having 95% of the tumour removed via surgery, the former Home and Away actor will have the remaining 5% eradicated through six weeks of radiation, which will be broken up with a four-week hiatus, before finishing off his treatment with six months of chemotherapy.
It’s a daunting road ahead, but the star is adamant he will overcome the brain cancer.
Speaking to Nova FM’s Fitzy and Wippa recently, Johnny opened up on the moment he knew something was wrong.
“My head was throbbing, it felt like a fire was burning inside. I was slurring my words so we went to hospital and doctors put me on a drip,” he said.
Doctors ran tests throughout the night, and the diagnosis was a scary shock.
“Around 8am the next day, they called her [girlfriend Tahnee] and said you need to get down here immediately because Johnny has a brain tumour. She was in absolute tears,” Johnny said.
With Tahnee by his side, Johnny made his first public appearance over the weekend.
“By this stage, I had slowly slipped into a coma and needed emergency surgery.”
“The tumour was 7cm big – it was huge,” he continued. “The neurosurgeon said it could’ve been growing anywhere from two to 10 years.”
One of Johnny’s biggest supporters is his long-term girlfriend Tahnee Sims, who has been there for her partner every step of the way.
Over the weekend, the loved-up couple made their first public appearance since news of his brain cancer broke at the Save Our Sons charity gala, which raises money for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Meanwhile Johnny’s former Home and Away family continue to rally around him, with James Stewart sharing a sweet snap with his mate.
“Sooo much love. The big man, Johnny Ruffo. The biggest man I know,” James shared.
