When you have a brother as ridiculously awesome as mine, you want to do everything in your power to ensure he’s around forever… because the world deserves people like Josh. He may be my little brother, but I proudly walk in his giant shadow… and will for many more years to come.
Johannesburg, South Africa (04 May 2021) – Seamus Reynolds wrote an inspiring post that is going viral about his younger brother, Joshua Reynolds, who is facing his third round of chemotherapy.
Joshua’s first round was when he was just 3 years old, and then at 16 he had parts of his intestines removed, chemo again at 40 and now for a third time at 42, but this is not a story about his chemo; this is a story about his strength, perseverance and bravery… and how he is inspiring everyone who reads about him!
Seamus has given us permission to repost the beautifully written tribute to his younger brother; read it below:
I bet you my brother is stronger than yours!
Today, I took Joshua Reynolds to the start of his 6-month chemo sessions… the 3rd time he’s had to do this in 42 years.
When I was 6 years old, my little brother was bald. I wasn’t really old enough to understand what cancer was, let alone why it would attempt something so stupid as to take on Joshua, even at 3… or our mother Joy.
Not long after going into remission, we moved to Hong Kong, where he and Mom braved a new hospital culture for all his follow up treatments. Josh smashed the cancer into submission. It had not done enough to stop him.
Josh became a tough-as-nails, you-can-throw-anything-at-me young kid that would always do what he wanted to do.
At 7, Josh fell off a wall, the equivalent height of 3 storeys… I watched as he plummeted headfirst into a rock ledge, bounce and then land motionless on the road below. A fractured skull and bleeding on the brain was not enough to stop him.
On his 16th birthday, parts of his intestines were removed, and the rest refashioned like a magician at a birthday party turns a long, pink balloon into a poodle. He was suffering from a severe case of a hereditary gastrointestinal disease, but removing metres of his bowel was not enough to stop him.
Despite not having full control of his digestive system, he chose to go back to boarding school, not just because he was so damn tough, but because he had an unbelievable group of teenage friends who would look after him and genuinely love him in his time of need. I believe those incredible boys are now even better men because of their contribution and from the inspiration they drew from their friend Joshie.
When you’re 40, with a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old, as well as a fledgling business… you have enough shit to deal with. But that stupid thing called cancer thought it would have another crack at my bro. This time, it was given the name Cecil, and Joshua lined him up like a formidable opposite number in a Rugby World Cup Final. In fact, the legendary James Small spent half an hour on the phone with Josh advising him how to visualize his opponent and find the headspace Josh needed to neutralise and defeat his own Jonah Lomu.
Despite losing more of his insides, and now having to mentally adjust to life with a stoma bag, Josh lifted that trophy. Cecil was not enough to stop him.
The year 2020 was a train-smash for most people, but Josh and Philippa had to also use it to rebuild Josh’s body, his strength, his mind, their relationship… all while their business was brought to a grinding halt, and with little people still needing the undivided attention of their parents.
Life was back on track. Cecil, the tumour, had been removed, and a scan in December showed all clear.
The Reynolds family could now return to focusing on each other… and Josh could surf again.
But cancer is a stupid thing. It doesn’t know that it keeps choosing the wrong person. It hasn’t learnt that it cannot defeat my little brother. And yet, it’s trying again.
This morning was a hard reality returning to chemo for the third time. He says he’s tired of always needing to be strong, of being pricked by needles, of the inside of hospitals, of being sore, tired and grumpy, of not being able to surf again. But he went in. ‘Cos he has to. Because he’s a fighter. Because he has a family.
Because he absolutely loves life.
For several weeks I have cried hard, many times every single day. My own family is in complete limbo, literally in the midst of a move overseas, house sold, everything in storage… and no certainty when things will get back on track. My battle is different, of course not as tough as Josh’s, but it’s mine. I have my own little people to look after with Jacqui, and as a father, my first responsibility is ensuring they’re loved unconditionally and afforded the best possible future I choose to provide for them. Like my parents did for Josh and me.
When you have a brother as ridiculously awesome as mine, you want to do everything in your power to ensure he’s around forever… because the world deserves people like Josh. He may be my little brother, but I proudly walk in his giant shadow… and will for many more years to come.
Because this round will not be enough to stop THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST BROTHER!