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Wednesday 8 January 2014

It's very hard not to get emotionally involved with some of the stories I've cover on my radio shows especially those heartbreaking stories of young people who are terminally ill. As I write this I am working with Katherine Crowe - a mother with terminal breast cancer who is trying to secure hope and dreams for her children and family.
She was diagnosed with Terminal Inflammatory breast cancer and has run out of treatment options in her eyes. She states that: "I'm now walking a road less traveled, although others have walked in my shoes before me. I choose to grab life, to love life and have a quality of life that is as good as it can be for as long as I can. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Choosing to dream like I'll live forever and live like I'll die today! I update my blog most days at the moment so anyone who wishes to read it can - I have no interest in opinions or judgments on what I am doing or writing but you or more than welcome to have one. I hope that you may get something nice or good out of it - but that is in your hands not mine!" A remarkable woman with a remarkable voice who has fulfilled one of her ambitions and has recorded in Abby Road Studios with The London Metropolitan Orchestra, have a listen to her version of Smile' written by Charlie Chaplin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Pby0gpIGY . She's just written a childrens book which I hope to help her promote. Please have a look http://www.denzilthemouse.co.uk/
Another one of my past guests is a young American girl Megan Kowalewski who is also fighting a very aggressive form of cancer. Megan, age 24, was diagnosed with lymphoma over two years ago and has been in treatments ever since.
Her empowering music video homemade at the hospital, with Kelly Clarkson belting out lyrics like "You didn't think that I'd come back, I'd come back swinging," in the background, is a Youtube sensation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaQdwTsVtCY. Megan's treatments have caused a great deal of pain, and stomach symptoms. She couldn't eat a thing over the holidays this year. But her appetite has been better recently, and on Saturday when she felt well enough to grab some fast food, she bumped into Jon Gosselin. Jon posed for not just one photo but two, and Megan proudly posted them on her Facebook account. The photos generated over 1,800 likes and 233 comments, mostly from friends happy to see her smiling again. She now has completed another excellent video which you can find on her Facebook https://www.facebook.com/megan.kowalewski2?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

The final story is not about a person who is gravely ill in fact she is very healthy . it's simply about an
extraordinary 10 year old Gracie McNulty who feeds the homeless on Christmas day. I< came across Gracie when I interviewed her about giving up Christmas Day to help others: Gracie's father died in an accident, she wasn’t sure how to cope with her first Christmas without him. So she decided to abandon the usual family festivities – and make her father’s last Christmas wish come true instead. With the help of her mother and three siblings, Gracie served turkey with all the trimmings to 50 homeless people. Her father Craig, 38, was a regular charity volunteer who had served breakfast to the homeless on Boxing Day in the past, and he had promised to open the family’s cafe on Christmas Day.
But Mr McNulty, a roofer, suffered serious head injuries when he fell while working. He was taken to hospital by air ambulance but died soon after the accident in August.
Gracie’s mother Sharon McNulty, 46, who runs the Grilled and Filtered cafe in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said: ‘After he died Gracie said to me “I don’t want to have Christmas at home this year, I want to do what daddy wanted and open the cafe on Christmas Day.
‘It wouldn’t feel right to celebrate so we’re serving Christmas dinner to people who don’t have a home to go to.’ She added: ‘We’re all thinking of Craig. It’s all in his honour and he would be so happy with what we are doing.
It’s been absolutely fantastic, just to see their faces when they walked in. We’ve bought everybody thermal gloves, thermal scarves, and thermal socks and have also made sandwiches for them to take away.’
So moved was I by Gracie's story that I set up a Facebook page for her which I named Gracie's Mission http://www.facebook.com/GraciesMission

I feel privileged to know these remarkable young women and I belive should be an inspiration to us all?

4 comments:

  1. They sure are an example to any of us who complain about minor ailment! Well done.

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  2. Wonderful example of courage. Thank you

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  3. Good to see you back where you belong Mr B. Now its time you were back on radio telling us these wonderful stories. Happy New Year

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  4. Keep up your good work. The Costa's need you.

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