Dave Coulier and his son Luc.Photo:Courtesy Dave Coulier
Courtesy Dave Coulier
Dave Coulieris appreciating the little moments amid his cancer diagnosis.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, theFull Houseactor, 65, opens up about how he’s been leaning on family and friends afterlearning he has stage 3 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in October.
While he notes that his diagnosis has been “a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey,” he adds that his wifeMelissa Bringand son Luc have been his biggest motivations as he undergoes chemotherapy, especially after seeing their reaction to his cancer news.
“I looked at how those words affected [my wife] and I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to be strong throughout this, not just for me, but I’m going to be strong for her,’ ” he says.
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Melissa and Dave Coulier.Robert Bruce Photography
Robert Bruce Photography
As his first grandchild is due in March, a month after Coulier is expected to finish chemotherapy, he notes “there’s a lot to look forward to” in the months to come, including introducing his future grandson to all his favorite hobbies, including hockey and airplanes.
Mel Coulier, Alex, Luc, Dave Coulier.Kacie Q Photography
Kacie Q Photography
Amid his cancer journey, Coulier says he’s been given a new perspective on life.
“We all have choices in life,” he notes. “You can laugh through the tough times and try and see the glass half full or you can go the opposite direction, which doesn’t really help anything. And so I made it — the choice was kind of made for me — you’re going to get through this, but you’re going to help some other people along the way.”
“I don’t know how to explain it, but there was an inner calm about all of it,” he says, noting that his own family’s experiences with cancer inspired him, including his late mother, sister and niece.
“They really instilled that in me and inspired me in a way because they were magnificent going through what they went through, and I just thought, ‘I’m okay with this too. I’ve had an incredible life on a journey with incredible people around me, and I’m okay.’ It does change perspective for sure. All of the cliches start like, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff,’ and, ‘Glass half full,’ really kind of percolate to the top and shape who you really are.”
source: people.com