Life can become unrecognizable overnight. Michael Bublé could attest to that fact.
It doesn't always have to mean that something bad has happened. For instance, when the Canadian crooner, whose way with a love song helped him both sell millions of albums and acquire quite a few girlfriends, fell in love with Luisana Lopilato (the star of his "Haven't Met You Yet" video) in 2008, not long after he and Emily Blunt broke up...that was it for him.
He was down for the count, and he and Lopilato married in her native Argentina in 2011. They welcomed son Noah in 2013 and another boy, Elias, in January 2016.
Bublé admitted just in 2015 that he wasn't always the greatest boyfriend before meeting his future wife, telling Canada's eTalk, "I was a jerk and I was careless and reckless with the hearts of women I was with. And I got my karma. I earned it. I got my butt and heart kicked and it hurt me enough that I looked in the mirror and I didn't want it to happen again.
"If I wanted to be a happy guy and really fall in love, I would have to love myself." So maybe he just hadn't met himself yet...
But it wasn't until he became a husband, and then two years later a father, that he could really put his new approach to life into practice.
"I think being a dad gives you perspective. I think being a parent is a massive blessing and I don't want to get all, ah, new-agey about it," he told E! News in 2015, smiling at the thought, "but it's allowed me to understand, deeply, that what I do for a living, creating music and art and getting to be part of a fragrance or a movie, is my job. It isn't what defines me.
"What defines me is, I'm Eli and Noah's dad."
And up until last year, despite insisting he was trying to give them a "normal" life, Bublé and his picture-perfect family of four seemed to be living the picture-perfect life. Then, the entire family's world turned upside down.
On Nov. 4, Bublé revealed that 3 1/2-year-old Noah had been diagnosed with cancer and he and Luisana had immediately put everything else on hold while they focused on their son's treatment and care.
"During this difficult time, we ask that you pray for him and please respect our privacy," their statement continued. "We have a long road ahead of us and we hope that with the support of our family, friends, fans around the world and our faith in God, we can win this battle."
He had taped certain things ahead (which is why Bublé was on Tony Bennett's 90th birthday tribute special that aired in December and seemed to be chatting about his holiday plans on Live With Kelly right before Christmas), but otherwise Bublé cleared—and continues to clear—his professional schedule, including a December performance at the BBC Music Awards and, more recently, hosting gigs at the 2017 Brit Awards in February and the 2017 Juno Awards last week.
"Truth be told, we'd much rather be down there watching Michael Bublé up here host the show," Dermot O'Leary, who ended up hosting the Brit Awards with Emma Willis, told the audience at the beginning of the night. "We so wish that he could have been with us this evening," Willis added, "and everybody at the Brits sends him all of our love, and fingers crossed we will see him again next year."
Longtime friend and mentor David Foster told ET Canada in November that he didn't think Bublé would perform again until Noah was better.
"I think Michael right now is in a huge bubble," said the producer and songwriter, himself a father of five and a stepdad many times over. "Everything shuts down around you. You go inside your little bubble."
Foster continued, "I don't think he's looking at social media. I'm sure he feels the love of millions of people. He's in good shape, he's got good doctors around him and we will hope and pray for a great outcome, which I believe they will have."
While the singer has been using his Facebook page to post updates about Noah's progress, he hasn't posted on Instagram since October.
On Feb. 3, Buble shared good news: "We are so grateful to report that our son Noah has been progressing well during his treatment and the doctors are very optimistic about the future for our little boy. He has been brave throughout and we continue to be inspired by his courage. We thank God for the strength he has given all of us. Our gratitude to his doctors and caretakers cannot be put into words.
"We'd like to thank the thousands of people that have sent their prayers and good wishes to us. As we continue this journey we are greatly comforted by your support and love."
Late last month, Luisana's brother Dario Lopilato confirmed that the couple and both sons had flown back to Argentina, telling the Daily Mail, "The only thing I can say as their uncle is that I'm over the moon to be playing with my nephews again."
And happily, just yesterday, in her first time speaking about Noah's condition, Luisana told reporters that her son was well again.
"It's difficult for me to speak about this, it's very recent and I'm still a bit sensitive about the subject," Lopilato said, per an English translation, at a press conference for her new film Those Who Love, Hate. "My son's recovery is a long process as you all know and he has to continue with checkups. But we are very happy. We are looking forward to thinking about the future, to seeing our children grow."
"Thank God my son is well," the 29-year-old actress added. "When things like those that happened to us occur, your take on life changes. Now I value life much more, the now and the today."
In her first Instagram post since October, Luisana also thanked her fans and everyone who prayed for her family and was so kind to them throughout.
"Thank you for being with me through the pain, thank you for celebrating my happiness, thank you for being a part of my life," she wrote.
The family kept most of the details regarding Noah's illness under wraps, though Luisana's sister, Daniela Lopilato, told Argentinian magazine Gente in November that the little boy was battling liver cancer and would be undergoing chemotherapy.
"They say children are normally strong to put up with chemotherapy, and my nephew is a warrior," Lopiato said, per an English translation. "He has the innocence of children and that is good. He doesn't understand too much what is happening. The love people are showing is helping us to see things with optimism, and we have a lot of faith."
In October, just a few weeks before Noah's diagnosis, Bublé released his seventh studio album, Nobody But Me, and credited his wife and children for helping him reach new heights as an artist.
"I love them more than I'll ever love anything, or anyone in the whole universe. I think it gave me perspective on life that I think I very badly needed," the 41-year-old singer told Entertainment Tonight. "It's hard to be able to quantify that level of love.
"I didn't even know that there was that color in the spectrum. I didn't know that level of love existed. But it makes me better at everything. It allows me to pull more emotion and be more honest and to be in the moment."
To be sure, as Noah's recovery continues he's surrounded by a family who loves him more than anything—including a dad who, before he had his own family, had no idea just how much love was in him to give.
"It's been what everybody says it would be," Buble said in an interview just weeks after Noah was born. "It's the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can't explain it until it happens—it's like telling somebody what water feels like before they've ever swam in it."
(Originally published Saturday, April 8, at 6 a.m. PT)