At the beginning of this month, Red Symons tragically lost his eldest son Samuel Symons to brain cancer, who was just 27 years old.
Samuel had been fighting an aggressive brain tumour for many years and was diagnosed at just four years-old. And in a tribute episode of Australian Story which featured footage filmed before Samuel’s death, the Hey Hey It’s Saturday star opened up about the diagnosis.
“It was the first, most awful moment of my life,” he told the ABC program.
“I can remember calling my father in tears and saying, ‘He has to have brain surgery. He’s four years old.’ Just that.”
“It’s still too awful to contemplate, so I don’t.”
“It was the first, most awful moment of my life,” Red says of Samuel’s brain tumour diagnosis.
Red Symons and his then wife Elly Symons’ lives were turned upside down when Samuel’s kindergarten creche called to say he wasn’t well.
“I just knew that it wasn’t a small thing,” Elly confessed in the documentary.
Shortly afterwards, the neurosurgeon told Red and Elly that Samuel had suffered from a brain haemorrhage and would probably be a paraplegic and then even a month after surgery and chemotherapy, doctors told the parents that it was unlikely that he would live.
“One doctor in particular told us we should take him home and enjoy him and it was pretty clear what she meant by that,” Elly said. “But I didn’t believe that was going to happen to my son.”
Samuel was subjected to a lot of intense treatment, including radiation therapy which isn’t recommended for those under the age of six.
“I contemplated the notion that perhaps we should let him go, was the expression. I guess I sort of meant we should let go as much as let him go. Maybe he will survive this, maybe he will die, maybe that is a better option than performing this treatment. Wouldn’t have acted on it, didn’t act on it, but I wondered,” Red said on the documentary.
READ MORE: Signs and symptoms of brain cancer in children.
Red with his sons Samuel and Joel.
Samuel’s mother Elly Symons opened the documentary on Monday night that originally aired in 2010.
“As a young man, Samuel became passionate about improving the medical experience for young cancer patients and helped redesign the Youth Cancer Centre at Peter MacCallum Hospital,” she said.
“Samuel passed away last week at the age of 27 and in his honour, I am proud to bring you his inspirational story once again.”
Neil Mitchell, Red’s colleague from 3AW, confirmed the tragic news of Samuel’s death last Wednesday morning and read out a statement from the Symons family.
“It is with the deepest sadness Red announces the passing of his beautiful son Samuel Symons,” the statement said.
“Samuel passed peacefully overnight surrounded by his family. We ask that you please respect the privacy of Red and his family at this very sad and difficult time.”
WATCH: Samuel Symons on Ten News.
