James Van Der Beek’s wife is showing him support since he publicly revealed that he has colorectal cancer.
On Nov. 3, the Dawson’s Creek alum shared his diagnosis exclusively with PEOPLE, later opening up about the health news on Instagram. The actor’s wife Kimberly Van Der Beek commented underneath the post, sharing her support for him.
“I love you baby ♥️” she wrote before he liked the message.
In Van Der Beek’s initial announcement, he told PEOPLE, “I have colorectal cancer. I’ve been privately dealing with this diagnosis and have been taking steps to resolve it, with the support of my incredible family.”
“There’s reason for optimism, and I’m feeling good,” the 47-year-old added.
Colorectal cancer, per the American Cancer Society, starts in the colon or the rectum, which make up the large intestine in the digestive system. It’s the third most common cancer in the world, after lung and breast cancers.
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In his social media post, Van Der Beek also apologized to his loved ones that had to learn about his diagnosis online.
“It is cancer … Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I’m one of them,” he wrote. “There’s no playbook for how to announce these things, but I’d planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon … to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms. But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.”
Detailing that he has “been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before,” the actor continued, “I’m in a good place and feeling strong. It’s been quite the initiation, and I’ll tell you more when I’m ready.”
“Apologies to all the people in my life who I’d planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline… But we roll with it, taking each surprise as a signpost, pointing us toward a greater destiny than we would have discovered without divine intervention,” he concluded. “Please know that my family and I deeply appreciate all the love and support. More to come …”
Alongside the statement, Van Der Beek shared a video compilation of photos of himself alone and with his children, set to “Autumn Breeze” by Richard LaForge.
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