I hope you won't mind me sharing this :-
Ken was working in the police force until he discovered that he had cancer in his thigh and hip and needed a long time off for treatment.
We (and of course he and his family) were shocked - not Ken! Ken had run in the marathon in aid of Lupus ( a mutual friend is a sufferer). Ken had received a bravery award from the Prime Minister for diving into a local river and attempting to rescue the teenagers trapped under water in their car that had sped off the road and sunk to the river bed. He worked in the special armed unit off and on - very fit people in that unit. (Ken would work out every day and never smoked).
Ken's cancer has unfortunately spread and he had a lung removed a couple of weeks ago, but whilst in hospital the surgeon has informed them that the remaining lung has a problem and Ken is dying and probably will not live very much longer.
He is 39 and has a son age 13, the same age as mine (they were in class together at Primary School) and a daughter age 10.
He has booked his wife and children a holiday with mutual friends for next year - there is no ticket for Ken.
He has also organised his own funeral and sorted everything out so Debbie does not have to worry.
Although he walks with a profound limp and is breathless, he is cheerful and busy, not stopping for a moment.
His son has organised a cricket match for fathers versus sons at our local cricket club this Sunday in which he and Sam will take part, and my DH and son will also as well as friends of ours.
I am SO determined that I am going to go and watch part of the match and be as cheerful as he wants us all to be - hopefully he won't need us to tell him how much we admire him, as he will see it from the way we behave and the smiles we will wear.
I don't know why I am posting this or even how to end it except that I am so deeply touched at the way he and his family are dealing with their situation. When Ken is gone, I'm sure Debbie and the children will be devastated, but he has set the stage for them not to be surrounded in pity but to ensure they live their lives to their full potential.
Ken was working in the police force until he discovered that he had cancer in his thigh and hip and needed a long time off for treatment.
We (and of course he and his family) were shocked - not Ken! Ken had run in the marathon in aid of Lupus ( a mutual friend is a sufferer). Ken had received a bravery award from the Prime Minister for diving into a local river and attempting to rescue the teenagers trapped under water in their car that had sped off the road and sunk to the river bed. He worked in the special armed unit off and on - very fit people in that unit. (Ken would work out every day and never smoked).
Ken's cancer has unfortunately spread and he had a lung removed a couple of weeks ago, but whilst in hospital the surgeon has informed them that the remaining lung has a problem and Ken is dying and probably will not live very much longer.
He is 39 and has a son age 13, the same age as mine (they were in class together at Primary School) and a daughter age 10.
He has booked his wife and children a holiday with mutual friends for next year - there is no ticket for Ken.
He has also organised his own funeral and sorted everything out so Debbie does not have to worry.
Although he walks with a profound limp and is breathless, he is cheerful and busy, not stopping for a moment.
His son has organised a cricket match for fathers versus sons at our local cricket club this Sunday in which he and Sam will take part, and my DH and son will also as well as friends of ours.
I am SO determined that I am going to go and watch part of the match and be as cheerful as he wants us all to be - hopefully he won't need us to tell him how much we admire him, as he will see it from the way we behave and the smiles we will wear.
I don't know why I am posting this or even how to end it except that I am so deeply touched at the way he and his family are dealing with their situation. When Ken is gone, I'm sure Debbie and the children will be devastated, but he has set the stage for them not to be surrounded in pity but to ensure they live their lives to their full potential.
....... a lot of fun and laughter (far more raucous than most cricket matches - there was a serious match being played on the next field and we saw a few heads peer over the hedge when us girls were heckling a little too much 
)
). 
).
