RIP Patrick Swayze

Cancer sucks :( It takes the best people, screws with their body, spits them out and leaves them to get on with it.

I've had three close family members (and countless friends) battle with cancer. Two of them beat the bastard and one didn't.

My Aunt - breast cancer - had a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery and radiotherapy. SURVIVED

My Daughter - Neuroblastoma (cancer of the adrenal gland) - at age 14 months - had half a kidney and the adrenal gland removed and chemotherapy. SURVIVED

My Father in Law - lung cancer - misdiagnosed at first, too late for treatment. DIED 8 months after diagnosis

Why?

Why can we create machines to take us round the world and to other planets in the solar system, why can we create technology that allows us instant access to any source of information, why can we immediately create an antibiotic for a pandemic such as swine flu but we can't find a cure for this bastard disease?

I have so many issues connected to this disease that I tend to get a bit emotional about it. However, I like to concentrate on the positives. I have a number of friends who have given up their precious time to run the Race For Life and there are also the people who donate seemingly endless amounts of cash to all the worthy cancer causes. Every little helps... I mean, if it wasn't for the research that has take place in the past, I probably wouldn't have my daughter with us now. But more cash is needed, for more research and knowledge!!!

A "virtual" friend of mine (by which, I mean someone who I converse with on an Internet forum) recently had an last minute opportunity to go up on the 4th Plinth . Her only props were a whiteboard and some pens. As a bit of a trier... and wanting to support her... I text her, asked her to give me a mention (on the whiteboard) and, if she did, I'd stick £10 in the local Cancer Research box. So she did it :D And others followed suit... and she managed to have been pledged over £100 for Cancer Research during her hour on the Plinth. Since then, she's set up a JustGiving page and donations have almost reached £300.

HERE is her hour on the 4th Plinth in screenshots and

HERE is the JustGiving page.

Every little helps - even if you've got to look like a bit of a tit whilst raising awareness!!