NRL great Brett Kimmorley learns to be 'dad and mum' of four after wife's cancer battle
NRL great Brett Kimmorley is coming to terms with life as a single dad, following his wife’s brave cancer battle.
He and Sharnie fell madly in love as high school sweethearts.
"You move away at a young age together; you become very close - soul mates - as you say," the former Shark told 7 News.
Raising a beautiful family together, life was perfect - until Sharnie was diagnosed with brain cancer in June last year.
She was a wonderfully devoted mother to her four precious girls Maddi, Mia, Ava and Ivy.
The woman fought until the end, at just 38 years of age.
Choking back tears, Kimmorley said he never anticipated the outcome, but he and his girls prepared for the worst.
"They literally knew everything, which was hard, very hard conversation.
"At no stage did [Sharnie] complain, whinge, ask why?"
Kimmorley's now raising four daughters on his own, and every day is a challenge.
"I took the approach that if I yell at them, or [get angry] then I lose them.
“And I'm the only one they're talking to so you put both hats on if you can and try and be the dad and the mum," he said.
Sunday was the first Mother’s Day without Sharnie.
"We took some mother’s day gifts up to mum last weekend - we brought ‘em from school," Kimmorley said.
He said his wife loved being a mother and always wanted a big family.
"There was possibly a fifth one coming, she wanted more children.”
Brett is raising awareness and money to find a cure for brain cancer.
"She was like: ‘I can handle this but if someone else doesn't have to go through it’... It's more lending our support to stop someone else going through it," he said.
