Louis Tomlinson shared a tear-jerking video on Wednesday, in which he spends time with an 83-year-old man named Richard.
Louis Tomlinson shared a tear-jerking video on Wednesday, in which he spends time with an 83-year-old man named Richard, whose wife died of Alzheimer's disease in December 2016. Louis' late mother, Johannah Deakin, also died in December 2016 from an aggressive form of leukemia.
"A month or so ago I met an amazing man named Richard," the 27-year-old One Direction member shared on Instagram. "He had a few things he wanted to do so I thought I'd help him out. This video feels particularly relevant and powerful to me. Richard is a classic example of a fearless man who in light of tragedy still pushes himself to live with as much laughter and happiness as possible."
In the video, Richard, who hails from the U.K., shows his sense of humor and talks about his beloved late wife, Pat.
"I talk to her on a regular basis, even though she's not here," Richard says.
The two bond about both loving to sing, and the deaths of their loved ones.
"We're a big family as well, so it hit us hard," Louis shares of the death of his mother.
Later, the two go about fulfilling Richard's bucket list, including flying a helicopter, driving a race car and riding a roller coaster. Richard also gives Louis a tattoo. Later, Louis gives Richard an opportunity to sing in front of a live audience, and he belts out an opera song as Louis cheers him on.
At the end of the video, Louis encourages his fans to donate to the Alzheimer's Society, Cancer Research UK and Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.
Tragically, Louis also lost his sister, Félicité, last month. She died at her home after a suspected heart attack. She was 18.
On Monday, the singer shared on Instagram that he has a new perspective on life, especially when it comes to his career.
"I've been thinking a lot more about what success means to me," he wrote. " ... My expectations and aspirations are all shaped around my experiences, as much as I try and stay realistic I couldn't help but crave a 'hit' single. ... Over the last few weeks I've put a lot of things in to perspective and in fact what I should be doing is forgetting about perception and to a certain degree worry less about being defined on commercial success."
"I'm not here to compete with the likes of Drake and Ariana Grande," he continued. "I'm here to make music I love and make my fans proud to say they're a fan. Turning a page today. Enjoy today and enjoy the ride! Don't get lost on the way up."
For more on Louis' recent family tragedy, watch the video below:
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