Footballer Rio Ferdinand is known for his love and devotion to his three young children: Lorenz, 10; Tate, eight; and Tia, six. Since the death of his wife Rebecca Ellison, in May 2015, he has had to be both Mum and Dad to the family.
Sadly, his young family went through more heartache recently, after the death of Rio’s mum Janice. In a cruel twist of fate, Janice also succumbed to breast cancer, the same disease which killed Rebecca.
Yesterday, Rio posted a sweet tribute to his children on Instagram, which read: “There are no perfect parents, and there are no perfect children, but there are plenty of perfect moments along the way.”
Underneath, the doting dad-of-three expressed his wishes for a happier future for his kids.
“I just wish happiness for my kids from now on....the last couple of years, they have seen too much pain. Creating great memories for them going forward is the aim," he wrote.
Judging by the videos Rio has been sharing from their family holiday with his new girlfriend, TOWIE star Kate Wright, he is living up to his promise.
He shared a video of him passing on his football skills to sons Lorenz and Tate during a fun-filled soccer game, and another video of him acting as a “human diving board” allowing little Tia to dive off his shoulders into a swimming pool.
Earlier this year, Rio opened up on the tragic loss of his wife during the filming of Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad for BBC1.
He explained how he was struggling and had even thought about suicide after Rebecca's death. He had been drinking heavily following her death, in an attempt to cope.
Rio was also worried about the effect of Rebecca’s death on the children, particularly his boys.
During filming, a tearful Rio opened up to a therapist about his worries for the three youngsters.
"I get nothing out of the two boys,” he explained, while speaking about his children's feelings.
However, he found introducing a "memory jar" has helped his kids cope with their feelings. This is a large bottle which the kids fill memories of their mum.
Tia has filled the memory jar with drawings of her mum, and said: “I like doing this. I’m going to do it every day.” Rio was delighted when young Lorenz decided to write down his mum's favourite Ed Sheeran songs and place them in the jar.
He said afterwards: “We can talk about Rebecca now. That memory jar has changed everything.”
Rio and his family have been through so much, we hope the future will be happier for them all.
