Life has a way of giving you a massive reality check at times though doesn't it?
On Friday I was told that Val Franklin had passed away, then on Sunday we found out that Rob Burrow had lost his battle against the disease. A stark reminder that at present there is only one winner when MND is involved.
I'm guessing that some of you reading this may well have known Val and so are fully aware of the lovely person she was. I first met her next to the 18th green at Rushcliffe Golf Club, as we waited for a group of ladies to finish a '72 holes in a day challenge'. Raising money for Stand Against MND. Val was one of the first people I'd met in person who also had MND. At that time I was visibly more advanced in my progression than Val, in my powered wheelchair and reliant on my ventilator. A casual observer would never have known we had the same illness.
Val would later tell me that she found that first meeting quite difficult. Looking at me was frightening, like seeing what the future could hold. To their enormous credit, Val and her husband Pete agreed to come over for a cup of tea to pick my brains about my journey. Nobody ever warns you about the mountains of admin that come with a degenerative disease, and if you don't keep up with it at your end you might not get the help you need. I'd been through a lot of it and I hope had a few useful tips.
Opening up and wanting that information takes immense courage. It shows in my view an acceptance of your circumstances, and a determination to make the most of the time you have. I'm so pleased that Val and I shared that outlook.
You would never have known what we were discussing based on the amount of laughter in the room. I was left with that familiar feeling of confusion as to why MND seems to attack such lovely people.
Val and her family became and remain stellar supporters of the charity, and I would frequently see them at the monthly golf club quizgo (highly recommended if you enjoy trivia and are of course willing to donate any winnings to a local charity...)* Val always had a smile and a chat whilst Pete always had a one liner at the ready.
*Not compulsory
Over time we saw each other less and less as we both found spending time out and about more challenging, until I heard the news last Friday. RIP Val, it was lovely to know you. All my love to the Franklin family.
A life with MND, particularly when you are integrated with patient communities on line and in person, means that losing people is tragically a frequent occurrence. A consistent reminder of your own proximity to death.
So how to react to such sobering news on such a regular basis? I remember I am alive. I have opportunity. I love. I laugh, I strive, I experience. In Vals honour, in Robs honour, for all the fallen warriors I've lost along the way,
I will live the most significant life I can muster.
Nothing else matters
1315 comments
My husband came to me and apologized for the wrongs he did and promised never to do it again. Ever since then, everything has returned back to normal. Thank you Dr Sanni Moses for saving my broken Marriage. Dr Sanni Moses is the best online spell caster that is powerful and genuine, you can as well contact him for the following services, Death Spell, Lottery Spell, Promotion Spell, Good Luck Spell, Pregnancy Spell. you can get to him on Email; Drsannimoses@gmail.com , whatsapp him +1 (682) 451 2315 or you can also visit his website ; https://sandrarohdan123.wixsite.com/drsannimoses
Even when I dated my wife for years, cohabited with her and vetted her thoroughly and ensured her family accepted me to part of them, the fact that ferminity is mallaeble came to play out in my marriage. She had some close friends who were single and most are still single till date. They had a huge influence on my wife and that alone always made us had issues. Eventually she left me and i had to seek help from Dr Lukas knowing he is capable of restoring the love and happiness we shared and to also get her back to me. I complied with everything Dr Lukas told me and my wife came back home with regrets of paying attention to fake friends and we are happy together again now. You can reach out to Dr Lukas for any kind of help as well. Here is his email: okukutemple@gmail.com and also his WhatsApp contact +44-7469341745
I was once a victim of a heart-wrenching cryptocurrency scam that left me devastated. I had invested a significant sum of $95,000 worth of Bitcoin in an online investment platform, hoping to reap substantial profits. Little did I know that I was about to face a nightmare. As the weeks went by, my excitement turned into despair when I realized that the platform I had trusted was nothing more than an elaborate scheme to rob unsuspecting investors like me my hard-earned Bitcoin, leaving me feeling helpless and betrayed. After extensive research, I came across RECOVERY HACKER101, a crypto recovery specialist who helps victims like me regain their stolen assets. After weeks of tireless efforts, RECOVERY HACKER101 had successfully recovered all my stolen bitcoin back to my wallet. To anyone who finds themselves in a similar unfortunate situation, I urge you not to lose hope. Reach out to RECOVERY HACKER101 Team for your Crypto recovery. Email: recoveryhacker101@gmail.com
It gladdens my heart to be out here to say a word of thank you to Dr Isikolo.
I never thought I would be able to see my marriage work again despite the fact that everything had already been working against me, Dr Isikolo came to my rescue. I had a problem in my home which made my husband left and I was already pregnant and it became difficult for me to cope without him in my life. His family supported me all along but no one could help reunite us back except Dr Isikolo who responded at the time I needed help the most. He got the problem fixed and my husband returned back home to me just after 48 hours because he was still living in the same city with me. It quite amazing when you find help where you least thought you can get help. Once again thank you Dr Isikolo for all you do to help people in dire need of assistance. His page: https://isikolo-temple.com or text him via WhatsApp on +2348133261196
Are you searching for a real spell caster ?
It is amazing how quickly Dr. Excellent brought my husband back to me.
My name is Heather Delaney. I married the love of my life Riley on 10/02/15 and we now have two beautiful girls Abby & Erin, who are conjoined twins, that were born 07/24/16. My husband left me and moved to be with another woman. I felt my life was over and my kids thought they would never see their father again. I tried to be strong just for the kids but I could not control the pains that tormented my heart, my heart was filled with sorrows and pains because I was really in love with my husband. I have tried many options but he did not come back, until i met a friend that directed me to Dr. Excellent a spell caster, who helped me to bring back my husband after 11hours. Me and my husband are living happily together again, This man is powerful, contact Dr. Excellent if you are passing through any difficulty in life or having troubles in your marriage or relationship, he is capable of making things right for you. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work with the best spell caster.
Here his contact. Call/WhatsApp him at: +2348084273514 "
Or email him at: Excellentspellcaster@gmail.com ,
For more information visit his website:https://drexcellentspellcaster.godaddysites.com