Devastating, but not unexpected news came through when we fired up our Starlink satellite connection on Thursday afternoon (24/11). The son of my best friend from University days, Daniel, died of bladder cancer after fighting it for 5 years or more. Daniel was a similar age to my boys - early 30s. Full of life, talented, gutsy, positive, friendly, determined... The list goes on, but the bloody cancer still got him.
Absolute nightmare for Jerry. Makes bobbing around the Atlantic ocean seem a bit pointless in one way, but in another way perhaps not. As Daniel so aptly demonstrated, life is for living, we should all make the most of it while we can.
Sharon, Stephen and I visited Daniel, Jerry and Daphne in September and even though there was then no doubt at all that he was dying, he was clearly determined to squeeze every possible ounce of living, out of the life he had left. Not a flicker of self pity crossed his face. He was just as interested in us and the rest of our family as always. He continued to make the best of the time he had left, not just for himself but for us too. Somehow I knew that it wasn't dying that he feared, but the effect that would have on his Dad Wife and Mum.
I can only imagine what Jerry and Daniel's wife (he only got married in his last month or so) and the rest of the family are going through.
Good bye Daniel, it was an honour to know you.
No comments:
Post a Comment