The one thing that brought a smile to Edwina Bartholomew’s face on the day the Sunrise star learned she had leukaemia

Edwina Bartholomew has revealed on social media what made the difficult day she found out she had cancer such a surprising event.

The 41-year-old Sunrise reporter announced live on air Friday morning that she had been diagnosed with leukemia. She has since posted a gallery of precious photos of her family on social media.

In her caption, Edwina thanked her friends and fans for their support, before explaining that spending time with her family made her feel better.

Alongside a photo of her two-year-old son Tom holding a draught excluder in the shape of a ‘door snake’ as he walks to a local park, Edwina wrote some heartfelt words.

“Thank you. Thank you so much for all the love,” her post began. “This past month has been such a strangely joyful time.

“The day I got back from my bone marrow biopsy, Tom insisted I take the door snake to the park,” Edwina began.

“I was laughing so hard when I was walking down the street with him with that damn thing over his shoulder.”

Edwina added that carrying out her daily tasks with her family helped remind her of the simple pleasures in life, despite these challenging times.

“It was a beautiful reminder that life goes on. I swam in the ocean, made plans with my husband Neil and gave lots of hugs. I hope that continues for a long time.”

Many of Edwina’s famous friends were quick to respond in the comments to congratulate her on her positive attitude during this difficult time.

“You are an incredibly strong, courageous woman, Eddy… and I have no doubt that you will get through this with the grace and zest for life that you have come to expect from us,” wrote Lisa Wilkinson.

“Sending you all my love and strength, darling! You can do this!” added Natalie Bassingthwaighte, while former Sunrise presenter Melissa Doyle added: “Sending you all my love and strength, darling.”

This comes after Edwina revealed in an emotional broadcast on Sunrise on Friday that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

“I’ve been diagnosed with cancer. It’s a shock to say and a hard thing to say,” she told viewers, her voice breaking with emotion.

“It’s a very good kind. It’s called chronic myeloid leukemia. It can be treated with a daily tablet. If I can take care of myself, I’ll be absolutely fine.”

The veteran TV star began to cry before telling the audience: “I thought I could handle it.”

Edwina went on to say that it was her co-star Natalie Barr who was given the early diagnosis. Her co-star was also diagnosed with cancer in June after a routine skin check discovered cancer on her nose.

Concerned about her own health, Edwina visited her doctor for a mammogram, blood tests and a skin examination, only to be told the terrible news.

“I had a mammogram after I had a few lumps. That was all fine. I even had an eye exam. That’s fine. But my doctor sent me for routine blood tests at the same time,” Edwina continued.

One of those tests produced an incorrect level.

“I feel very, very happy and I wanted to share this with you for a couple of reasons. First, because everyone here at home and here has been there for all the amazing moments, for the engagements, and the weddings and the babies, for all of us. It felt good to share this with you as well.

“Many of you have been in similar situations or much, much worse situations and have come out stronger… and more resilient. That is exactly what I plan to do.”

Edwina said she also wanted to share her sad news because she wanted to encourage others to prioritize their health too.

“Please, especially for mothers who are always taking care of everyone, take care of yourself. And just go see your doctor,” she said.

The Seven star was told in July that she had suffered a shock and kept it a secret from the public, only telling a few friends at work.

She thanked all her fellow cast members for their support, specifically mentioning Natalie “for constantly checking in and [providing] all meals too’.

Edwina then nodded to her colleagues Monique Wright and Sally Bowrey ‘who divided their family commitments so that I could take care of mine’.

After thanking her bosses at Sunrise, Edwina told viewers she would be taking ‘some time off in September’ before cutting back on her work at Sunrise.

The former Dancing With The Stars co-host said she will reduce her work responsibilities to just a few days a week at Sunrise when she returns.

According to the Mayo Clinic, CML is a rare form of bone marrow cancer that develops very slowly.

Various symptoms may occur, including bone pain, fatigue, fever, weight loss, blurred vision, and loss of appetite.

Edwina reported that she had few of these symptoms. The biggest complaint was fatigue, which she attributed to getting up at 3am every morning to go to work.

Thanks to advances in treatment, the prognosis for people with CML has improved. Most people diagnosed with the disease can go into remission and live for many years.

The Seven star has children Molly, four, and Thomas, two, with her husband of six years Neil Varcoe.