My last post was the
beginning of July. I stopped writing, because I needed time to think and to
work out my next steps.
Since then, many weeks have
passed and before I go into what has happened, I want to dedicate my
first page back to Jan Schmid. Those of you, who have been reading my blog will
know that he is the son of a very dear friend of mine. He was diagnosed with
Cancer the same week as me, in May 2016. Since then I have stayed in
close contact with him and his parents. He had 8 months of Chemo, 2 operations
and literally went through hell and back, as did his family. Earlier this year,
the oncologist told the family that the Chemo had not worked and that he had
more tumors then he had started with. They suggested ‘trying another new
drug’, but had no confidence that it would make any difference.
This is when his parents
decided to take matters in their own hands and seek every alternative treatment
they could find. Unfortunately and it breaks my heart to say it, it all
came too late.
The 13 August, Jan at the
young age of 14 , passed away in his mums arms at 04.30am.
I can’t begin to imagine the
loss the family must be feeling, the sheer heartbreak. I knew Jan as a kind,
quiet, positive boy, who endured the hellish treatments without complaining
once. During his Chemo treatment he spent long weeks in hospital as he
was getting weaker and weaker. We all thought that after his parents moved to
alternative treatments, that there would be hope, but with more tumors then he
had started with, I guess he had little chance.
I am truly devastated for the
family and have cried bitter tears for all of them.
Something that will stick in
my mind though, is the day Jan died. We heard early in the morning and not
having known anyone that died here in Spain, I did not know what to expect. We
bought flowers and drove to the ‘tanatorio’ around lunchtime. I was taken back
by the huge number of people ( 200 +) sitting quietly in the large room.
Spanish are known to be one of the loudest nationalities in Europe, but that
day, they did not talk. Jan’s parents and family sat near the coffin, with
beautiful flowers surrounding them, as all well-wishers hugged them and
cried. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. The funeral was later that day, as
per the Spanish tradition.
The family did not see it
coming, they had bought all the school books ready for Jan to go back to
school…………… and now they are left without him, trying to pick up the pieces and
explain to Jan’s younger sister that her brother will not be coming back. How
do you pick up from there? I just don’t know.
I have asked Jan’s father if
he minded me writing about his son, he didn’t and send me some photos of
happier times.
My heart bleeds for them, and
I am crying writing this. How many millions of people have died from cancer?
How many people are being diagnosed daily around the world? Why has no cure
been found yet? There is so much research being done, yet the number of cancer
death are increasing.
According to cancer.gov. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics
published earlier this year, in 2016, an estimated 1,685,210 new cases of cancer were
diagnosed in the United States and out of that number 595,690 people will die from the disease. Currently 7.6 million
people die from cancer worldwide every year. I ask myself with all the money
thrown at research, how is it not possible to find a cure?
I don’t get it.
But what I do get, is what I
will write about next…………..
My
family and I have now decided to raise money for Jan and his wife in order to
be able to send them on a retreat, where they can hopefully hide away for a
little while and just ‘be’. In order to do this, we are all
jumping out of a plane in Dubai. We being, myself ( thank god I no longer have
a wig), Kyla and Dan ( her husband), Rhea and Ben ( her boyfriend) and Jack. Geoff
will hold the baby and watch, having had a second hip replacement only 6 weeks
ago, we felt that he might be saved on the ground. If anyone reading this, is
happy to part with some money, even if
it is no more than the value of a glass of wine, anything will make a
difference. The link to view the details is :
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