Christophe Bariou. Image: Instagram/@cbariou
Christophe Bariou, boyfriend of actress Nadine Lustre, opened up about overcoming his battle with cancer, admitting he doesn’t want to be “seen as a victim” who appeals for pity.
Lustre’s partner revealed on his Instagram account on Tuesday, June 6, that he was diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma, saying he “feel(s) right” to talk about his “successful” cancer battle due to the many lives that were lost. The French-Filipino entrepreneur shared glimpses of himself being treated at the hospital.
“This was something I never thought I’d share at all on social media. Maybe I never did because I preferred not to be seen as the victim or to use this illness to appeal for pity. And while I was successfully overcoming it, I saw many around me losing their lives trying to, so it didn’t feel right to talk about myself,” he began.
“But around 3 years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and I was told I only had a few weeks left to live. I experienced the darkest sensation of fear, which is something I thought I had already known because it wasn’t the first time I was in a life threatening situation,” he continued.
The businessman confessed he was “scared, angry, and frustrated” with the “invisible” enemy, as he thought that he would never be able to have children or “finish what [he] started” in Siargao.
“Why is this happening to me? Why me? I felt so full of life and suddenly finding out I had a couple weeks left to live was devastating… to say the least,” he said. “At that point, I was about to choose to stay put in Siargao, live the best I could out of my last days and not even bother trying to cure myself since I thought there was not much hope left.”
Bariou suffered a “rare type of lymphoma,” and was advised by doctors that he had to “drop everything” and go back to France to get treatments at a specialized hospital.
“They discovered I had a very rare type of lymphoma and even mentioned it was so rare they had no statistics of survival but that they were still hopeful and my [six] month treatment started,” he said.
“Not only was I lucky enough to benefit from the best treatments available from the leading cancer research center in Europe, but all of this was completely free of charge thanks to the rights the French fought for. It just makes me think how unfair it can be in other countries when something as bad as this hits,” he further added.
Despite his battle with cancer, the entrepreneur realized that his life goals “did not change at all” and he was even determined to “get back on my feet as possible.”
“I want to be mindful and conscious in every action. The best I can do is to lessen the suffering and cruelty around me, and promote kindness and compassion towards all forms of life — human and non-human. Our lives are way too precious to be wasted. In the same breath, other lives are too sacred to be robbed from them, too,” he said.
As Bariou thanked his loved ones who supported him during his battle with the Big C, he hoped that his followers shouldn’t “wait for life to hit them hard” to realize what they truly wanted.
“[I’m] hoping some readers will realize they should not wait for life to hit them hard to realize all of this. I can make mistakes, I can make bad decisions but one thing I never want to have again is regrets. Live and let live,” he said.
The French-Filipino’s journey touched the hearts of his followers in the comments, including celebrities Katarina Rodriguez and Billy Crawford, and celebrity photographer BJ Pascual.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@cbariou
Bariou caught the attention of showbiz watchers after his relationship with Lustre was made public in January 2022, when the latter showed a glimpse of their New Year celebration.
The entrepreneur made headlines in April after he declared that he’s “more in love” with the award-winning actress after two years. /ra