James Van Der Beek got all choked up as he praised his wife’s support during his battle with colorectal cancer ... adding he hoped to look back on his health journey in the future and be thankful for what he went through.
On "Good Morning America" Tuesday, James shared that for the first time, he had to put himself in a position to ask for and accept help, which turned out to be a blessing -- especially since his wife Kim has shown him what unconditional love really is.
James noted his whole family has stepped up, helping them all grow stronger ... even though his 6 kids call his diagnosis "butt cancer" -- and, for the record, he’s hoping they’ll stop with that nickname.
As for the moment he was told of his diagnosis in August 2023, James said it was a shock since he was in great shape -- but quickly realized his life’s trajectory had to shift so he could look back in 30 years and be thankful for the health challenge.
Overall, he’s staying positive, managing to keep it together 90% of the time. The other 10%? He’s a sobbing, terrified mess -- but right now, he’s feeling good physically and is ready to fight through.