Ryan Thomas has told how his baby son helped him cope after the death of his dad and his friend’s suicide.
The former Corrie star welcomed Roman with his fiancée Lucy Mecklenburgh in March 2020.
Just six months later, his dad Dougie James passed away.
Tragedy struck again when the actor’s friend took his own life during lockdown.
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What did Ryan Thomas say about fatherhood?
Ryan told The Sun that having his baby had been a “good distraction” amid some tough times.
“Bringing a newborn into the world and creating a new family for Roman, that’s been my drive this year, giving him the best start in life. That’s been a good distraction for me,” he said.
Read more: Ryan Thomas reveals heartbreak after close friend took his own life in lockdown
Ryan – who is also dad to daughter Scarlett from his previous relationship with actress Tina O’Brien – started fundraising for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) after his friend’s death.
We have to look at that and go: ‘Wow, my dad made room for the next generation.’
He said: “We’ve all lost loved ones, it’s been difficult for everybody. I sympathise with everyone, including myself in that bracket.
“In the same year of losing my dad, I gained a son. We have to look at that and go: ‘Wow, my dad made room for the next generation.’ We’ve got to focus on the next generation. It makes me very happy to have that focus in life.”
Ryan shaken by friend’s death
The star, 36, revealed earlier this month that he had lost a friend to suicide, saying it “shook” everyone.
“You’d never have known he was suffering. The night before he was on Instagram saying he was out for dinner,” he told The Mirror.
Read more: Ryan Thomas gives Lucy Mecklenburgh tour around home he bought without telling her
“He was the same age as me. It really shook everyone.”
The star is now planning to embark on a 262-mile walk from London to his home city of Manchester to raise awareness and £25,000 for CALM.
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