Julia Bradbury credits the birth of her children for saving her “rockstar” parents’ lives.
The Countryfile star, 51, believes that becoming grandparents helped both her mum and dad as they each battled with cancer.
Julia herself underwent a mastectomy last autumn after being diagnosed with the disease.
But 10 years earlier, when Julia was expecting her first child Zephyrus, her mum Chrissi was facing her own battle.
Julia Bradbury on her parents’ cancer
Julia, married to husband Gerard, previously told the Daily Mail: “My mother was diagnosed with bowel cancer when I was pregnant with Zeph and I think that made a big difference.
“I kept saying to her, ‘You can’t go, you can’t go, you have to stay to meet your grandchild’.
“Gerard and I didn’t want to know the baby’s sex but Mum did.
“She felt it would make the baby feel more real, more tangible if she knew. So we gave the doctors permission to tell her – she was thrilled.”
Thankfully, Chrissi pulled through.
But when Zeph – now 10 – was little, Julia’s dad Michael also received some devastating news. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer. In 2011, he too received the all-clear.
Julia then gave birth to twin girls four years later following five rounds of IVF treatment. They are called Xanthe and Zena and are now seven.
“We reckon the children saved both my parents’ lives by giving them something to look forward to,” Julia added.
When was Julia Bradbury diagnosed with breast cancer?
In September last year, Julia revealed that she herself had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The TV presenter has since had her left breast removed in a bid to save her life.
Julia shared a lovely picture of herself with Chrissi, 84, and Michael, 81, on Instagram at the time.
View this post on Instagram
Alongside it, she wrote: “This is for my rock star parents (taken pre-op). Thank you for all the love & food!
“They’re in their 80s, still mobile, both cancer survivors, and they been with me since my mastectomy, spending time with their grandchildren & looking after me.
“My Mama is Greek & has been feeding me nourishing healthy food, & the good news I’ve put on a couple of kilos since my op which I needed to do.
“Good fats, plenty of veg & a good selection of supplements to help me through the healing/medication process.”
Fans heap praise on Julia for her ‘bravery’
Meanwhile, last month Julia appeared in a documentary called Breast Cancer and Me.
The mum-of-three was praised by fans for both her bravery and for revealing the results of her mastectomy.
Julia also explained that she is still waiting to receive the all-clear from doctors. And she has been warned her cancer may return.
Read more: Julia Bradbury reveals her children’s heartbreaking questions after cancer diagnosis
“I have a lot to process and a lot to really understand now I’m post mastectomy,” Julia said in the documentary.
“I have to learn to love my new breast and get physically fit again.”
But she added: “I really want to know how to deal with the future, the question mark of reoccurrence.”
- Orkney: Britain’s Green Islands with Julia Bradbury and Alex Beresford, 1.05pm, ITV, Sunday May 22, 2022
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.