January 2016 has been a brutal month where cancer has killed many well loved icons of the entertainment world.
The popular, if tongue in cheek, analogy is that it’s like the Game of Thrones author George R R Martin is writing the script for 2016 instead of finishing his next long overdue book. It’s like all your favourite characters are being killed off in a senseless fashion, enough to make the Red Wedding seem tame by comparison.
The simple fact is that cancer is a killer.
Cancer doesn’t care if you’re famous or well loved.
Cancer doesn’t about the wreckage it leaves behind.
Cancer kills quickly and cancer kills slowly.
Cancer is an indiscriminate killer of men, women and children of all colours, races and faiths.
Lemmy, the figurehead of rock group Motorhead, was the first big name to die of cancer in 2016.
He was followed shortly after by David Bowie, the man of many faces, singer, actor, icon. For those that remember the early 70’s he will be Ziggy Stardust. For others they will remember an ever present, ever evolving figure in the world of music.
Alan Rickman, star of stage and screen died shortly after. Known for many stand out movie roles, some will always remember him as the villain in Hans Gruber in Die Hard, for a younger generation he will always be Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films, and for others he will be remembered as Metatron the voice of God in Dogma.
January comes to a close with one more big name succumbing to cancer, Sir Terry Wogan. The Irish broadcaster who made his name and found a place in British hearts on BBC radio and television. His wit and friendly voice will be sadly missed.
With all the big names that cancer has taken this month, let’s not forget the thousands of ordinary people who are living with cancer right now and the many that have slipped away without fanfare or making a headline on the TV news.
We can do our bit by helping to support cancer research and cancer care.
Without major work in cancer research we will never find cures for the many forms of cancer that affect us. Their work will someday, hopefully, save lives on a daily basis that would otherwise have been lost.
Until that day comes cancer care will remain necessary. The people that work in cancer care are amazing people and their efforts help prolong the lives and the dignity of many people, while caring for their needs in the often inevitable course of these awful diseases.
Please do what you can.
Please consider giving a small donation to one of the many cancer charities that work in the cancer care or cancer research fields.
If you can afford it, please consider setting up a small regular monthly donation towards beating cancer or caring for those who have it.
Thanks for reading. And if you can help in any way, thank you very much.