Stefán Karl Stefánsson Sends Heartbreaking Message Before Deleting Social Media

Stefan Karl/Twitter

LazyTown star Stefán Karl has deleted his social media presence, but not before sending a deeply affecting message to his fans.

The 42-year-old Icelandic actor, who played Robbie Rotten in the beloved children’s show, has made the decision to step back from social media.

Stefán, who suffers from inoperable cancer, wishes to focus on spending the remainder of his life with his family.

After disappearing from social media, the Lazy Town Memes Facebook page published a tear-jerking post on behalf of Stefán:

Stefán Karl deactivated his Twitter account and slowly leaving Facebook now.

He asked me to tell ya’ll that he will always remember you guys, he loves you and will never let you down but now he’s going to focus on trying to extend his life as much as he can and enjoy life with his kids, wife and family.

‘Follow your dreams and know that death is nothing, life is everything.’

One of the very last tweets from Stefán’s account was particularly poignant, reading:

I don’t cry because he died, I laugh because he lived.

Fans are completely behind Stefán’s decision and have been offering words of support and admiration for the brave actor.

One person tweeted:

So Stefan Karl, the actor of Robbie Rotten, has deleted his social media so he can focus on his family and friends before he dies.

The man was an inspiration and a real hero to many kids around the world. May he have a peaceful end to his days.

Another said:

Also i’m so sad about Stefan Karl but he should take the time he has left to focus on the people close to him.

Stefán was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2016. After liver surgery he appeared to have made an astonishing recovery; informing Icelandic broadcasting service RUV:

The damn disease is gone. Until it comes back, whenever that will be, which will hopefully be never. Life is now. It’s almost a miracle that I’m still here.

Unfortunately, the relief was short lived and in March 2018, Stefán revealed the cancer was back and there was nothing to be done.

Learn more about pancreatic cancer below:

[ooyala player_id=”5df2ff5a35d24237905833bd032cd5d8" width=”undefined” height=”undefined” pcode=”twa2oyOnjiGwU8-cvdRQbrVTiR2l” code=”5oYzZ4ZTE6gGf6ZCdX8NfufplD3IUop6"]

Tweeting in his usual philosophical style, Stefán broke the news to distraught fans:

It’s not until they tell you you’re going to die soon that you realize how short life is. Time is the most valuable thing in life because it never comes back.

And whether you spend it in the arms of a loved one or alone in a prison-cell, life is what you make of it. Dream big.

stefanssonkarl/Instagam

When one concerned person asked him whether the cancer had returned, Stefán responded:

Unfortunately it’s back and this time they can’t operate on it.

Stefán’s wife – actor Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir – spoke about the severity of her husband’s condition in a heartbreaking Facebook post:

Last Friday [2 M[2 March]got confirmed after a trip to Köben in Jáeindaskan that there are new metastases in Stefán that can not be removed by surgery.

Even though I knew for a long time that this day would come, it’s a difficult turning point. There is no cure for this.

Now he will have to undergo chemotherapy to try to prolong his life and we hope that this will go as well is possibly can, to improve how he feels and to prolong his life. The first medication was yesterday.

Our thoughts are with Stefán Karl and his family at this difficult time.

If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.