Duncan Garner has opened up about how his own life experiences and the hardships of others have affected him over the past year.
Speaking on The AM Show's final broadcast for the year, the programme's host spoke about the fear of losing his own son and the tragedy of another man losing his.
"For me, the lesson is that life is genuinely precious," Garner began in his recount of 2017.
"I sat with my son Buster earlier this year and watched him choking to death. I didn't know what to do - I felt helpless and saw fear in his eyes.
"He was dying in front of me, my lovely little boy. I just grabbed him, opened his mouth, put my hand down his throat and pulled a piece of bacon right out.
"I saved him and it still impacts me today. I have people walking up to me on the street and saying, 'Hey, that happened to me too'. I didn't realise how many people this happens to. So learn what to do - I didn't know what to do and just hoped, and got lucky."
Garner also thanked Michael Barnett, the chief executive of the Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, for opening up on his own pain as a father who did lose his son.
"I also [learnt] don't judge. Michael Barnett came on the show and we were talking suicide, and people judged Michael Barnett saying, 'Why is a white man in a suit on to talk about suicide?'"
"And Michael Barnett was here to talk about his son, who died. It was the first time publicly he'd opened up. And those people who had those views emailed back and said 'I feel so bad, I've learnt something: do not judge'.
"Michael Barnett you were a real hero this year - you went public and you were so strong and we appreciate what you've done for the programme this year as well. Have a very merry Christmas, Michael."
Newshub.
