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Legendary soccer icon told he has “at best a year to live”

In a heart-wrenching revelation, former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, at 75 years of age, has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Speaking to a Swedish radio station, Eriksson candidly shared the news, stating that he has "at best a year" to live. Despite the grim prognosis, the decorated football icon is determined to fight and maintain a positive outlook on life. During the radio interview, Eriksson acknowledged the severity of his illness, recognising that the speculation surrounding it was indeed cancer, while emphasising the need to focus on the positive aspects of life. “Everyone guesses it’s cancer and it is," he said. "But I have to fight as long as I can ... It is better not to think about it. But you can trick your brain. See the positive in things, don’t wallow in adversity, because this is the biggest adversity of course, but make something good out of it.” The former manager revealed that his health concerns came to the forefront last February when he stepped down as sporting director at Karlstad Fotboll. Eriksson, who collapsed during a 5km run, consulted doctors, only to discover that he had suffered a stroke and had cancer. Reflecting on the uncertainty of the timeline, he shared, "They don't know how long I had cancer, maybe a month or a year." Eriksson's illustrious career in football spans both club and international management. Leading England's Golden Generation from 2001 to 2006, he guided the team to the quarter-finals in two World Cups and a European Championship. His tenure included coaching legendary players such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Michael Owen. In a poignant revelation, Eriksson admitted to his biggest regret during his time with England, expressing remorse for not bringing in a mental coach ahead of the 2006 World Cup. England faced a heartbreaking exit to Portugal in a penalty shootout, marking a pivotal moment that haunts him to this day. Eriksson's managerial journey took him across the globe, starting in his native Sweden and then making a name for himself in Italy with Sampdoria and Lazio. After managing Manchester City and returning to international football with Mexico and Ivory Coast, he had a brief stint with Leicester before venturing into the emerging Chinese Super League. His career concluded in 2019 with the Philippines national team. Eriksson's revelation about his terminal cancer diagnosis marks a poignant chapter in the life of a football icon. As he faces this formidable challenge, his resilience and positive mindset serve as an inspiration. Images: Getty

Caring

F1 caller faces termination over "abhorrent" Schumacher comment

A Formula One pundit recently found himself issuing an apology for an unfortunate slip of the tongue during a live TV broadcast, where he inadvertently made an insensitive remark about the legendary Michael Schumacher. The incident unfolded in the aftermath of the Japanese Grand Prix during a post-race discussion on Spanish television, as reported by The Sun. Antonio Lobato, the pundit in question, raised Schumacher's name during the discussion. Regrettably, his comment quickly made its way online, inciting outrage among fans due to its insensitivity toward the Formula One icon's ongoing health struggles. In the clip in question, one of Lobato's fellow broadcaster quipped to him in Spanish, "Let Adrian Newey (Red Bull's chief technical officer) be shaking because Antonio Lobato is coming." Lobato, perhaps in an attempt at humour in the moment, shot back, "Let Michael be shaking! Well... not Michael, he cannot shake." Following this exchange, the pundits shared a laugh with their colleagues, Noemi de Miguel, Pedro de la Rosa, and Toni Cuquerella. The incident provoked a strong backlash from viewers, with many demanding that Lobato apologise to Michael Schumacher's family. Some even called for his removal from DAZN, the broadcasting platform. One individual on X (formerly Twitter) remarked, "An apology would be the minimum, a sign of decency. You don't disrespect ANYONE that way, especially when thousands of people are watching you. Journalism in Spain has a very bright present and future with people like this." Another comment read, "Using someone's medical condition as the punchline of a joke is unacceptable and abhorrent. Michael is beloved and respected in this sport, and [Lobato] doesn't deserve the platform he is given." Subsequently, Lobato released an apology video on X, which has since garnered over five million views. In the five-minute video, he attempted to explain the "accident" while justifying his actions. Lobato stated in Spanish, "I made a mistake without any bad intentions. It was simply a mistake of pure clumsiness, of pure inability to express myself correctly, maybe because of too many hours up, jet lag in Madrid, or whatever – which is not an excuse for those of you who didn't see it." He went on to clarify that he never intended to make a joke or mock Michael Schumacher and that anyone who knew him would understand this. Lobato acknowledged his error, saying, "I think that everyone who knows me and knows what I'm like knows perfectly well that I would never make a joke about something like that. Never, but I was clumsy." He admitted that he had realised his mistake instantly after making the comment. He also emphasised his deep regret, stating, "So the only thing I have to do, I think it's fundamental, is to apologise to all those who felt offended by that phrase yesterday. I really, really mean it. It was not my intention to say it to laugh, nor to make any kind of joke with Michael, whom I knew, whom I admire, and whom I think is a reference and who I think was quite unlucky." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Creo que es necesario dar explicaciones y reconocer que me he equivocado. Por favor, escuchad mi vídeo. Es un poco largo, pero creo que necesario. <a href="https://t.co/89QlCMws2v">pic.twitter.com/89QlCMws2v</a> — Antonio Lobato (@alobatof1) <a href="https://twitter.com/alobatof1/status/1706287035445653736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote> Images: Twitter (X) / Netflix

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Terminally-ill rugby player carried across marathon finish line by his best mate

There wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd when best friends Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield crossed the finish line of the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. The two Leeds Rhinos players have been raising money and awareness for people with Motor Neurone Disease since Burrow’s 2019 diagnosis, with the two raising an impressive total in the millions. And now, the pair have raised spirits and warmed hearts with Sinfield’s act at the end of their Leeds race, when he picked Burrow up from his chair and carried him over the finishing line. Before that, Sinfield had been pushing Burrow’s chair for 26.2 miles (42.2 km). The moment was met with cheering and applause as the wo concluded their marathon just after the 4 hour 22 minute mark, both from those who were there to witness it in person and from those who saw footage later when it circulated online. One Twitter user even went on to dub Burrow an “absolute gem of a human”, while another was certain that they were a “pair of absolute heroes”. “What a mate! Unbelievable in a world full of cr*p at the moment there are some genuinely lovely moments. These lads have been into battle together on the pitch for club and country,” one wrote. “It’s choked me up, I’m not going to lie.” “A bunch of legends,” someone else declared. “I’ve properly welled up watching this, this is what friendship is, to the ends of the earth and back.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Beautiful. Kevin Sinfield carried Rob Burrow over the finish line at the end of the first Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon 🥹 <a href="https://t.co/JFdd9XGgV4">pic.twitter.com/JFdd9XGgV4</a> — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/1657736670458916865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2023</a></blockquote> Prior to the event, Sinfield had spoken about the race to The Sun, and its 12,500 reported participants, as well as the thousands lining the streets to watch, and what it meant to be undertaking the marathon together. “Even if it was just Rob and I, we’d have a great time,” he said, “there’s no better way to do it than with your mate. The fact people want to share in it and do their own little bit is incredible. “This will be with mates, for mates and alongside mates, absolutely. Look across the world at big cities where marathons are run, there’s nothing like this. “We’ve not done any training. We ran a 10km together last July and that’s part of the challenge, doing something neither of us have done before. The unknown adds to the fun of it. “He’s in a custom-made chair but it could be a bumpy ride. I’ll try and find him the safest, comfiest route but if there are hills, there are hills. If it rains, it rains.” And as Burrow himself said to The Guardian, when asked about the seven marathons in seven days that Sinfield had run on behalf of Burrow, his family, and their fight against MND, “we all need a friend like Kevin.” Images: Getty

Caring

Man who lived in airport for 18 years dies

The man who inspired Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, as well as a French film and an opera, has died in the airport where he lived for 18 years. Mehran Karimi Nasseri suffered a heart attack in Terminal 2F of the Charles de Gaulle airport on Saturday and died after police and a medical team were unable to save him, according to an official with the Paris airport. Mr Nasseri, believed to have been born in 1945 in Soleiman, the then-British controlled area of Iran, lived in Terminal 1 between 1988 and 2006, at first while he was in a legal limbo because he was without residency papers and later by choice. The airport official said the 76-year-old had been living in the airport again in recent weeks. His first stint at the airport, when he spent years sleeping on a red plastic bench, making friends with airport workers, showering in staff facilities and spending time writing in his diary, studying economics and watching passing travellers inspired The Terminal starring Tom Hanks, as well as French film Lost in Transit and the opera Flight. Mr Nasseri published his autobiography, The Terminal Man, the same year The Terminal was made. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/mehran-nasseri1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Mehran Karimi Nessari lived in the Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years, with his belongings surrounding a red plastic bench he slept on. Image: Getty Images After leaving Iran to study in England in 1974, he was reportedly imprisoned on his return for protesting against the shah while abroad and was exiled soon after. He applied for political asylum in several European countries and was given refugee credentials by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belgium in 1981, but was later denied entry into England after the briefcase containing his documents was stolen at a Paris train station. Although he was arrested by French police after being sent back to Charles de Gaulle from England, he couldn’t be deported because he had no official documents and stayed. After lengthy legal campaigning, more bureaucratic bungling and increasingly strict European immigration laws kept him in a legal no-man’s land for years, Mr Nasseri was offered French and Belgian residency, but he refused to sign the papers as they listed him as Iranian and didn’t show his preferred name, Sir Alfred Mehran. He stayed at the airport for several more years before being admitted to hospital in 2006 and he later lived in a French shelter. Those at the airport who befriended him said Mr Nasseri’s years of living there had taken a toll on his mental health, while the airport doctor described him as “fossilised here” in 1990. One friend, a ticket agent, compared him to a prisoner incapable of “living on the outside”. “Eventually, I will leave the airport,” Mr Nasseri told the Associated Press in 1999, looking frail with thin hair, hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. “But I am still waiting for a passport or transit visa.” Image: Getty Images

Caring

"He is everything to me": Why Johnny Ruffo is hanging on for Christmas

Beloved former Home and Away star Johnny Ruffo has opened up amid his<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/johnny-ruffo-s-devastating-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> terminal cancer diagnosis</a> sharing the emotional reason he is holding out for Christmas. After spending years in the public eye, Ruffo is telling his tragic yet heartwarming story in a memoir. The 34-year-old told 7entertainment in an exclusive interview that his terminal diagnosis has given him a new goal, that being, looking forward to Christmas time. Johnny will reunite with his brother and “best friend”, who has been away in Ireland for the past three years. The siblings share a two-year age gap and fondly says they are “thick as thieves”. Ruffo has also admitted that his greatest hopes in life have changed. “Just time now, I suppose," he said. "More time with loved ones." “My brother lives in Ireland now so I haven’t seen him for three years and he’s coming home for Christmas and I honestly can’t wait to see him.” The singer speaks highly of his brother, stating he is his “closest” confidante, other than girlfriend Tahnee Sims. “We’re thick as thieves. Honestly, he is my hero, he is everything to me. And I cannot wait to see him,” he said. “I don’t know how I’m going to react, I cannot wait, he’s everything.” Ruffo touched on the brothers’ long-distance relationship throughout COVID and his second battle with cancer, calling Michael’s physical absence “the most glaring impact” of it all. Ruffo called his last family Christmas “very quiet and low-key”. "Sadly, the most contact I could have with my brother in Ireland was via WhatsApp. All jokes aside, I miss him a lot because out of all the men in my life, my brother is the one who sees me even better than I can see myself.” Talking about what he plans to do with his remaining time, Ruffo said he “still has so many things that I want to achieve and that I want to do in life”. He revealed that naming the book No Finish Line meant it “wasn’t the end”. Image: Instagram

Caring

Type of person who struggles with the idea of terminal illness

People who tend to look after themselves by working out and eating healthy foods are more likely to struggle with the idea of death and the process of dying. Palliative care nurse Maryan Bova has helped people with dying for 25 years and said some people accept their terminal diagnosis while others struggle to come to terms with it. She revealed that those who lived a healthy lifestyle were those who felt more ripped off when they are given the awful diagnosis. “They're the ones that have looked after themselves their whole life, for example the yoga teacher who runs retreats and has probably never eaten anything that wasn't organic and green in their life,” she told Mamamia. “And yet they've been smacked down with a horrible diagnosis. It can feel like a slap in the face.” Maryan confessed that the job can be emotionally draining as some experiences stick with her, especially when she was in the same position. Her mother Helen was diagnosed with brain cancer and Maryan did what she did best - but this time it was someone close to her. "I knew what it would all end up looking like, but I also knew how to orchestrate the help that was needed for her to die at home in a space she was comfortable in,” she said. “It was a gift to have that time to talk openly, have important conversations and bond as a family. It was like mum became childlike again, a full-circle moment.” Maryan stressed that it was important to look at how people with a terminal diagnosis are treated in the last moments of their life. Images: Facebook/Shutterstock

Caring

Aussie with terminal cancer uses time left to make her mark

An Australian researcher who has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer is busy making plans for when she’s gone - including a contribution she hopes will help advance research in animal studies. Siobhan O’Sullivan was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in July 2020, finding out within a year that the cancer had spread and that her illness was terminal. “In the week prior to my diagnosis, I was starting to say to people, ‘I’m not feeling right - I think it’s stress because Dad’s going to die soon’,” she told <a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/a-silent-killer-has-left-her-terminally-ill-now-this-aussie-woman-has-a-simple-message-c-6854866" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. “The week before dad died, I went to the doctor and said, ‘Something’s not right’.” During her treatments Siobhan suffered multiple strokes - an unexpected side effect - but even extensive treatment couldn’t stop the cancer from spreading. “That was a huge blow for me because a lot of women at that point do get some remission time,” she said. “I’m now at 19 months, which means I’m on borrowed time.” Though she’s living with death, Siobhan has maintained her humour and optimism, as well as her advocacy for ovarian cancer and the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying. She also began making plans, divesting her property and funds to her niece, nephew, godson and his sister, and ensuring her podcast is in good hands once she’s gone. Siobhan has also bequeathed $50,000 to the Australisian Animal Studies Association (AASA), which she is a founder of, and is helpling to establish two awards for future researchers. She is an associate professor of politics at Sydney’s University of New South Wales and was extremely involved in research around animal studies and her other passion, the alleviation of social issues related to poverty. Thanks to her donation, the AASA is offering two new prizes: one for early-career researchers, and the other for animal studies scholars, artists or advocates who have worked to promote their insights and findings with their peers and the public. “This is an exciting way to help the field of animal studies,” she said in a <a href="https://www.inside.unsw.edu.au/awards/new-awards-scheme-advances-the-emerging-sub-discipline-animal-studies#:~:text=As%20a%20founder%20of%20the,be%20established%20in%20coming%20years." target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “My own research … suggests that many animal studies scholars feel isolated and their research is not acknowledged by their own institutions. “These awards are a way of strengthening the animal studies community and giving scholars a sense of achievement and recognition.” As she nears the end of her life, Siobhan has said she would feel immensely comforted by the thought that she could legally end her life before her cancer brings her even more suffering. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I was so honoured to speak on behalf of people facing horrible deaths in NSW. Today I'll be watching <a href="https://twitter.com/nsw_upperhouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsw_upperhouse</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/NSWParlLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NSWParlLA</a> closely. I hope our political leaders use their power to ease the load of the terminally ill & their friends & family. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssistedDying?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AssistedDying</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VAD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VAD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nswpol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nswpol</a> <a href="https://t.co/hecIbBdBAl">pic.twitter.com/hecIbBdBAl</a> — Siobhan O'Sullivan 🥦😸♋ (@so_s) <a href="https://twitter.com/so_s/status/1527089433501405184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></blockquote> “My view is that there is no benefit that’s going to come to me, or my family, or this world, for me to suffer the last couple of weeks of a death by ovarian cancer,” she said. But the very recent <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/emotional-scenes-as-nsw-passes-law-on-voluntary-assisted-dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill</a> in NSW Parliament might still come too late for Siobhan, since it could take up to 18 months for the law to come into effect. Despite it not necessarily being an option she could take up, Siobhan says her advocacy will help others in the future. “This is for the other people, for the next people - the people in one, two, three years time,” she said. Image: Siobhan O’Sullivan (Facebook)

Caring

Terminally ill nurse caught in desperate waiting game

A nurse who has months to live as a result of her diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND) is “virtually paralysed” and waiting for the NSW government to decide how she will die. Sara Wright had been a nurse for 33 years before she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - a subtype of MND - two years ago, and is now dependent on a carer 24 hours a day. “The disease started as a weakness in my right foot, travelled up my right leg, then my left foot and leg,” the 54-year-old told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/public-health/virtually-paralysed-nurse-waits-for-nsw-parliament-to-decide-how-she-will-die-c-6699939">7NEWS.com.au</a>. “Then it travelled up my torso affecting my upper body, firstly my abdominal muscles, and now it affects both of my arms and hands, my lungs and my swallowing and speaking muscles.” Ms Wright, who shared her story via dictation since speaking is difficult and painful, is waiting to see whether voluntary assisted dying laws (VAD) will be passed in the NSW Upper House next week. If they don’t pass, she says she will likely “have to deal with suffocating or choking to death”. “It’s a terminal illness and the average life expectancy is three to five years,” she explained. “Given I have already been living with the disease for three years, and the progression has been faster than I ever could have expected, I don’t know how long I will live. “I don’t think that I will live for more than another six to eight months, as my breathing capacity is reducing very fast and I do not wish to have a tracheostomy (an operation where a breathing hole is cut into the front of the neck and windpipe).” ALS/MND is more common among adults aged between 40 and 70 years, with 384 people diagnosed each day according to the <a href="https://www.als-mnd.org/what-is-alsmnd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations</a>. Ms Wright’s career as a nurse made her all too aware of the “limitations of palliative care in the final stages of terminal illness”, so she initially planned to book into Dignitas, a non-profit organisation in Switzerland that offers a range of end-of-life services. But, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed her plan with the closure of international borders. She then considered moving interstate, where VAD is legal, but she worried about uprooting her 15-year-old daughter, Ester, from her home and friends, especially since most of their family is UK-based. “(Ester) is now 15 and she needs to have her community around her for support when I die,” she said. “Obviously this is an incredibly difficult conversation to have with your own child. “We have not specifically spoken about what could happen to me if the laws aren’t passed … but I have tried to assure her that family in the UK will fly out to be with her as soon as they can if I die unexpectedly.” Ms Wright’s fate is tied to the voluntary assisted dying bill, which passed through the NSW Parliament’s lower house last year and is legal or will soon be legal in <a href="https://end-of-life.qut.edu.au/assisteddying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every other state</a> except NSW. “I know that all my family, my parents, my brothers, my ex-husband are all in support of voluntary assisted dying and helping me relieve my suffering,” she said. “But none of us want to break the law or risk anyone being imprisoned if they helped me.” Since the bill entered the upper house last March, it has been debated passionately and passed through a second reading stage last week. It has even divided the state’s core leadership, with Premier Dominic Perrottet opposing the bill in favour of improving palliative care and Health Minister Brad Hazzard supporting it - despite opposing euthanisia for 29 years. Ms Wright, a strong supporter of VAD laws, has been brought close to the death of others during her nursing career and said she was “pretty certain” that if members debating the bill had seen people die uncomfortable, drawn-out deaths like she had, they would support the bill. “I have seen far too many people, elderly people, in the middle of the night in a ward without anyone there to hold their hand because nobody knew that was going to be their time to die,” she said. “I think that most people don’t think enough about death because we are all frightened of it. “And this could be the reason that some people are refusing to consider VAD laws, because it’s a topic that is deeply uncomfortable and taboo. “If we as a society were more mindfully aware and thoughtful about death, as it is the only certain outcome of life, then perhaps people would develop more compassion.” Though the laws could still be passed at some point if it fails to pass in next week’s final vote, Ms Wright said it would affect her whole family if it was too late for her to take advantage of it. “This will not only cause suffering to me but also to all of my family,” she said. “I wonder how many people have really stopped to think about what they would like, if they were in a position where they were going to die of (an) unpleasant and drawn-out death.” Image: 7News

Caring

"I had no choice": Tragic reason why F1 boss took his own life

The heartbreaking reason why F1 boss Max Mosley committed suicide has been revealed. The 81-year-old was found dead with “significant injuries consistent with a gunshot wound”, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18101716/max-mosley-shot-himsel-terminal-cancer-diagnosis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> reported. On Tuesday, the Westminster Coroner in London heard that Mosley had shot himself when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Following his terminal diagnosis, Mosley was told that he had “weeks” to live, and there was no cure for his chronic bladder and bowel pain. He was offered palliative care. Mosley was found dead lying in a pool of his blood with a double-barreled shotgun in between his knees on May 24, 2021. Outside on his bedroom door was a note that read: “Do not enter, call the police”. Police had also found a suicide note on the bedside table that was covered in blood. The only words they could make out were, “I had no choice”, the court heard. “It was obvious he had used the shotgun on himself and endured a life-ending injury. It’s clear he had injuries not compatible with life,” the coroner said. Mosley was referred to Dr Rasha Al-Quarainy, a consultant in palliative care from the Central and North West London NHS Trust, a month before his suicide. She told the courts that Mosley’s B-cell Lymphoma was “inoperable” and that he hadn’t mentioned any suicidal thoughts. “On the contrary he said that he had plans to renovate their home in Gloucestershire that wasn’t going to be finished until July. “He was still seeking treatment possibly in the US, possibly in the UK, and some other matters he spoke to me about.” Dr Christopher McNamara, a consultant haematologist, who had been treating Mosley since 2019, said he had spoken about his life. “He emailed me on 22 May 2021, these were questions about the management of the condition. He had accepted this would not be cured,” Dr McNamara said in court. “He was extremely upset as his quality of life was poor and left him uncomfortable. “He had expressed ideas of committing suicide to myself and other members of the team previously. “He never expressed a plan of doing this and all he said was that the problem was his wife would not accept this.” Image: Getty

Caring

Aunt "refuses" to take on kids when her terminally ill sister dies

A woman has "refused" to take on her terminally ill sister's children when she passes away, despite her sister begging her to, and her decision has gone viral. In a lengthy post to Reddit, the woman revealed that her older sister, 31, has recently been diagnosed with a large brain tumour that will drastically shorten her life. The woman's sister has a six-year-old, a two-year-old and a newborn baby, who she claims she doesn't have anyone other than her sister to leave them to. Her sister asked her to be the sole carer of her children, despite her and her husband, both 25, deciding to remain child-free. "We don't have family, and her ex-husband wants nothing to do with the kids since she cheated on him for years with many men and they aren't his. She doesn't know who the dad is," the woman explains. The woman then goes on to list the many reasons why she told her sister "no". "1. Since we are both child-free it would be unfair to ask my husband to make this kind of sacrifice. We both agreed to no kids when we got married; to change something like that generally means a divorce." "2. I am an atheist. My sister wants me to raise them religiously and to 'know god' and take them to church. No." She goes on to say that she was never very close with her sister, due to their six-year age difference, and that the memories she has of their childhood aren't so sweet. "[From] the memories I do have, she was always awful to me, [and] cynical...After she moved out at 18 we haven't talked once, besides at my parents funeral. I don't even know her kids, let alone her," she writes. Unsurprisingly, her terminally ill sister did not take her refusal well. "She cried and called me 'awful' but it's my life, and ultimately I get to be selfish with it..." "A child isn't an 18-year commitment; it's lifelong, and one I have decided not to take." The woman explains that since she told her sister "no", she has been bombarded with vicious messages from her sister's friends. <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 16px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 28px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">"Friends of hers whom I've never met have been reaching out to me and calling me at all hours to leave nasty voice mails. "[They say] I need to step up as a sister, but I just feel like she's trying to use me as her ticket out to dying and not feeling guilty," she wrote. The post has since gone viral on the social media website, with most commenters siding with the woman. One person said, "I've worked with kids for the past 20+ years and I can tell you that one of the worst things for a kid is to be with a parent who can't/doesn't want to be a parent." Another commented, "If you don't know these children at all, I don't see why your sister would want you to be their guardian. How could they possibly be comfortable with you after the loss of their mother? These so-called friends of hers would be better suited if they have an established relationship with the children." Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Terminally ill teen donates his life savings to a boy with cancer

A teenager who has been given just months to live has donated his life savings to a young boy's cancer battle. Rhys Langford, 19, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of cancer that starts in the bones, in October 2020. After 16 months of extensive chemotherapy, immunotherapy and surgeries, the Welsh teenager was declared cancer-free. However, in November last year, he started to get sick again. “I ended up with sepsis and a massive blood clot in the femoral vein, I spent nearly five weeks in hospital again, underwent further tests, MRI’s, CT scans, to be told on 4th January this year my cancer has come back,” he wrote. “Now there is nothing more that can be done for me,” he said. “I am dying.” Rhys had come to terms with the fact that his journey was coming to an end, and was devastated to learn that six-year-old Jacob's battle with cancer had just begun. Jacob was diagnosed with neuroblastoma just before Christmas 2017, prompting his family to raise thousands of pounds for experimental treatments. After several months of chemotherapy and surgeries, he too was declared cancer-free in 2019. After two years cancer-free, a new lesion appeared on Jacob's liver in January, instilling the worst fears in his family's mind that his cancer had returned. When Rhys learned of Jacob's plight, he donated $1,900 to Jacob's treatment and set up a GoFundMe page, which has since raised more than $88,000. “I know nothing can be done for me now but as one of my many last wishes I would like to help Jacob and help him fight this awful disease,” Rhys said, “I know what the treatments and awful drugs do to your body. It’s hell.” “Jacob is now six and has been fighting this disease most of his life. It should not be this way.” Jacob’s family said their “thoughts and love go out to this young man”, thanking him on behalf of Jacob and his “fight team”. “We have had a fantastic donation of £1,000 from a wonderful person called Rhys ... he was reading about Jacob’s relapse and got really upset and wanted to do something to help him,” they said. “His words were, ‘If they can’t save me I would like to help save this little boy Jacob’.” Image credits: GoFundMe / Facebook

Caring

Terminally ill man graduates college alongside his granddaughter

A grandfather-granddaughter duo from Texas have shared a heart-warming milestone together. Melanie Salazar, 23, and her grandfather Rene Neira, 88, have both graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) alongside each other. Rene first began his higher education in the 1950s, but when he fell in love and started a family, he was unable to finish his studies in the traditional four-year span. Throughout the years, Rene took part in online classes, but decided to re-enroll in college in 2016: the same year his granddaughter began her freshman year at the same school. "It just so happened that he wanted to go back to school again at the same time that I was starting." Melanie Salazar told <a rel="noopener" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/04/us/grandfather-granddaughter-graduate-college-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>. "It wasn't intentionally planned, but it just worked out that way that we were in school at the same time." "I didn't know that we would actually get to share that moment together," Melanie said. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXW-XSZrxf9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXW-XSZrxf9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Melanie Salazar ♡ (@melaniesalazara)</a> </div> </blockquote> Melanie said she didn't share any classes with her grandfather due to their differing majors, but the pair would often meet up for lunches, study in the library or even carpool to campus together. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Rene suffered from a stroke and had to take medical leave from class. Unable to navigate the world of full-time online classes, Rene was only a few classes shy of completing his degree and his family rallied around him to get him the degree he has always wanted. "We, as his family, were able to advocate for him and request to see if there was any way that he could be recognised or honoured for all the work that he had done." Melanie told CNN. It wasn't until the week of graduation they found out he would be honoured. "It was definitely an early Christmas miracle that they were willing to recognize him." Salazar said. "When we walked past the curtains onto the stage, I was overcome with emotion and started to tear up because I didn't know that we would actually get to share that moment together." Salazar said, "I told him afterwards, 'You did it, grandpa! College is over!'" Melanie received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications, while Rene got a degree of recognition in economics. "It's never too late to go back to school." Salazar shares. "Whatever your circumstance, there's people that are ready and willing to help you follow your dreams." Image credits: Twitter @UTSA

Family & Pets

Tragic update from wife of terminally ill veteran

A Queensland man whose battle with terminal cancer saw Wiggles star Anthony Field commit <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/veteran-with-terminal-cancer-speechless-after-blue-wiggle-s-kind-act" target="_blank">an act of kindness</a> has died at the age of 30. Brendan Nikolajew, an army veteran who served in Afghanistan, had been fighting cancer on-and-off for more than three years after a small lump was discovered on one of his testicles. He was recently given the devastating news that he had weeks to live and on Tuesday, his wife Leah shared a tragic update. “To all our beautiful friends and family, it breaks my heart to let you all know that my beautiful husband passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon,” she wrote on Instagram. “I held him close and lay next to him until his last breath. I made sure he knew how loved he was by everyone who knew him. “The last few days of his life were extremely hard for him as he struggled to breathe and was quite confused, he fought right to the end and did not want to leave but eventually made the decision to finally be at peace and watch us from the stars.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzjAkAhR1v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRzjAkAhR1v/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Brendan Nikolajew (@brendans.cancer.fight)</a> </div> </blockquote> Leah said her “little family” were “absolutely broken” after his passing and “still can’t imagine how we are going to continue on in this life without our sun and moon and our rock”. “He lived life to the fullest and loved the people around so bloody hard and I am proud to be his wife,” Leah continued. “I hope we can all keep his memory alive by never giving up and living our life with Brendan’s ferocity and passion. “Thank you all for the beautiful kind messages of love.” Blue Wiggle Anthony Field, who previously pledged to donate the royalties from the group’s new album to Brendan’s wife and children, shared his own tribute to Brendan. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Rest In Peace Brendan. <a href="https://t.co/pak9Uf79dH">pic.twitter.com/pak9Uf79dH</a> — Anthony Field (@Anthony_Wiggle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Anthony_Wiggle/status/1419777483537215490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote> “Rest in Peace Brendan,” he wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the veteran with his family. Image: brendans.cancer.fight / Instagram

Caring

Veteran with terminal cancer speechless after Blue Wiggle’s kind act

A Queensland army veteran has been left lost for words after finding out about how one of Australia’s biggest music stars plans to set his young family up for life. Wiggles member Anthony Field has pledged to donate the royalties from the group’s new album, Lullabies With Love, to Brendan Nikolajew’s wife and children. Nikolajew is in palliative care as he combats late-stage terminal cancer at home in Moreton Bay. “I never thought that I’d be receiving support and admiration from such a legend,” Nikolajew said of Field’s kind act on Instagram on Tuesday. “Anthony has given so much and it’s too humbling. “For this to be put into words is the hardest part … Just a massive thanks to everyone involved!” The 30-year-old war veteran, who served in Afghanistan, has been battling cancer for more than three years after a small lump was found on one of his testicles. After treatment of the lump, his cancer returned in November last year and was found in other areas of his body. Despite undergoing immediate chemotherapy treatment, he was recently given the terminal diagnosis and is making himself as comfortable as possible at home. His friend, Matthew James, spoke to 7NEWS in July, describing Nikolajew as “a positive guy”. “He’s the guy in the group who would try to pick you up if you were feeling down,” James said. “He’s definitely the most genuine bloke you could meet. “For the past three or so years he’s been really going through it, it’s never really sunk in. “He’s always been a positive guy. It’s kind of really starting to hit home. It’s a really rough time.” Field, the blue Wiggle who started the beloved children’s group in the 1990s, also served in the military. His gesture will be set to benefit Nikolajew’s wife Leah, their four-year-old daughter Georgie, and their two-year-old son Roman. More than $12000 has also been raised through a GoFundMe for the family. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9SMwzhuxc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ9SMwzhuxc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Brendan Nikolajew (@brendans.cancer.fight)</a> </div> </blockquote> “These two and my wife, are the reasons I fight/fought so hard, so long and gave whatever it took,” Nikolajew said on Instagram recently. “I also lived my bloody life, which I’m proud of.” Image: Brendan Nikolajew / Instagram

Caring

Forever love: A dying man's final farewell to his wife

A Queensland couple were given the chance to share one last moment together after 60 years of memories, thanks to the kind act of two paramedics. Danny and Shirly Rowland had been living separately for almost two months, with Danny staying in their Torbanlea home on the Fraser Coast while Shirly received treatment in an aged care home. Suffering from terminal cancer, Danny believed he would never see again or have a chance to say his final goodbyes. “There wasn’t a day that went by that dad didn’t say, ‘gee I wish I could see mum’,” their daughter Karen Bellert told 7NEWS. After complications occurred with the equipment used to treat him at home last week, Danny was taken to hospital by paramedics Samantha and Joshua. When they learned of his wish to see Shirly again, Samantha and Joshua were determined to grant his wish. After the equipment was fixed, the paramedics took a detour on the way back to Danny’s home to reunite the couple. “The staff said we can’t let you come in, but we can bring mum out,” the couple’s son, Ricky Rowland, said. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ5UL21LzWV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ5UL21LzWV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Queensland Ambulance (@qldambulance)</a> </div> </blockquote> “We had a beautiful moment for about 20 minutes where dad was able to say his final goodbyes to mum.” Danny passed away a few days later. “I really think dad was hanging in to say that last goodbye to mum, because not long after that he passed away,” Ricky Rowland said. Rowland said his dad’s final words to his mum were, “oh well Shirl, I’ll see you later on. And if I don’t, just know that I’ll love you forever.” Image: Queensland Ambulance / Instagram

Relationships

Brave terminally ill bride's battle comes to a tragic end

Just days after tying the knot with her husband, Ashleigh Simrajh has died after her long-fought battle with cancer. The 23-year-old’s husband Jason has paid tribute to his bride with an emotional post just days after he had the opportunity to wed her in a powerful ceremony. Ashleigh died from malignant melanoma and was told in early September she had only days to live after being diagnosed in 2019. She was granted one last wish to marry Jason before the disease claimed her life, and on September 5 the brave terminally ill bride “fought like a superstar” and said “I do” in front of 50 close friends and family at Sea World Resort on the Gold Coast. Jason paid tribute to the 23-year-old after her battle with cancer came to a tragic end. “Words cannot describe the pain I’m feeling right now, I’m absolutely devastated and my heart is completely shattered,” he wrote on Facebook Tuesday morning. “You were so brave and strong and I know that you tried your absolute best fighting this battle, you couldn’t have tried any harder than you did. “I’m so proud of you babe.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837891/ashleigh-bride-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f8175c7e93e448e684b2cd45833f9cc5" /> Jason described his new wife as the “most beautiful woman” and said he always held out “so much hope” that she would get better again”. He also talked about the couple’s dream to have kids would never be fulfilled. “We had so much planned out! We pictured having kids, cute kids too! (Only because of your gorgeous looks, not mine haha), travelling the world and most importantly growing old together,” he said. “I think growing old with you was something I wanted to do the most. Not much else mattered to me than to just be there with you for my whole life.” In the lengthy post, Jason also described feeling “completely empty inside” without Ashleigh adding it “doesn’t feel real” she was gone and that he had been “ripped apart” by her loss. “I really don’t know what I’m going to do without you now. I’m so lost and feel completely empty inside,” he wrote. “It doesn’t even feel real to me that you’re gone, it just feels like I’m in this horrible dream which I can’t escape.” Ashleigh’s father, Tony Simrajh, shared an update to the family’s Go Fund Me page just a week before she died, saying his daughter was at home with a dedicated nurse. “Ashleigh does not want to go back into hospital and we as a family are going to make sure that she remains at home surrounded by the people who love her,” he said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837892/ashleigh-bride-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/540a6059dd6d439c996f87e6aa743f8b" /> “Ashleigh is still fighting so hard and she is still defying what the doctors have told her. Again this morning we got told to brace for the worst as she only had a few hours left which devastated us all, but she has rallied and is looking good again at the moment.” “Our Ashleigh is a fighter and is fighting as hard as she can to stay here with us.” The 23-year-old was diagnosed with malignant melanoma over a year after she was told the lump on her leg was not suspicious. Ashleigh was just 20-years-old when she spotted a lump on her leg and after it became painful and started bleeding, she knew something wasn’t right. However, she was told the lump was nothing more than a “wart” and was sent to a surgeon without taking a biopsy. It was when she knocked it and it began to bleed that she decided to visit another doctor who performed a biopsy and informed her it was cancer. The cancer then spread to her lungs, liver and chest. Ashleigh’s family have since launched legal action against two practitioners. Her father Tony Simrajh told Daily Mail Australia that the legal case is not about money, but is actually about the doctors “owning up to their errors and taking responsibility”. “Ash weighs 34 kilograms now and is skin and bones. She is under palliative care and struggles for every single breath,” Mr Simrajh said before his daughter’s passing. He described his daughter as “amazing” and someone who deserved better than the challenges she had. “She is on a mission to get her story out there for young people to get checked but also to get another doctor to have a look at it if you are still not sure,” the heartbroken father said on a GoFundMe page set up for Ashleigh. “That would have saved her life if she did.” Mr Simrajh’s said that Ashleigh’s wedding was the happiest and saddest day of his life. “To see her so fragile on what should have been her happiest day was heartbreaking but yet seeing the love that was in the room for her was very inspirational,” he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison sent her a letter in late August thanking her for her efforts in reminding Australians about the dangers of skin cancer. “I know these are poignant days for you: a wedding time with the family and friends and reflections on what was. Even Prime Minister’s can’t fathom why such things happen in life. “But I do know you will be surrounded by love – and I hope the joy of your wedding day surpasses your dreams,” the Prime Minister said. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk had also heard about Ashleigh’s story and called her ahead of her wedding to send flowers and her will wishes. She gave Ashleigh her mobile number to send wedding pictures and to reach out to her if she needed anything. “Ashleigh’s message is making it to so many people, she is saving lives,” her father said on the GoFundMe page. They set up the GoFundMe page to share Ashleigh’s story and spread her message, and say they have received an overwhelming amount of support. “Please share this link not just for the donations but so everyone sees her story and help her spread the message to everyone re medical checks,” her father wrote. “So let’s spread Ashleigh’s story it may save someone’s life.”

News

Facebook blocks terminally ill man from live streaming his death

Facebook said it would block the livestream of a Frenchman suffering from an incurable condition who wanted to broadcast his death on the social media platform. Alain Cocq recently announced that he was refusing all food, drink and medicine after President Emmanuel Macron declined his request for euthanasia. The 57-year-old suffers from a rare medical condition which causes the walls of his arteries to stick together. Cocq believed he had less than a week to live and said he would broadcast his death from Saturday morning. "The road to deliverance begins and believe me, I am happy," he wrote on Facebook shortly after midnight in a post announcing he had "finished his last meal". "I know the days ahead are going to be difficult but I have made my decision and I am calm," he added. Facebook has been heavily criticised over the way it monitors content and said it was against their rules to portray suicide. "Although we respect (Cocq's) decision to want to draw attention to this complex question, following expert advice we have taken measures to prevent the live broadcast on Alain's account," a Facebook spokesman told AFP. "Our rules do not allow us to show suicide attempts." Cocq is trying to gather supporters saying: "Facebook is blocking my video broadcast until September 8." "It is up to you now," he said in a message to supporters before giving out Facebook's French address "so you can let them know what you think about their methods of restricting free speech". "There will be a back-up within 24 hours" to run the video, he added. Cocq had asked Macron for permission after he wanted to die in peace by taking a substance, but the president refused, saying it was not allowed under French law. Cocq has used his plight to draw attention to the situation of terminally ill patients in France who are unable to be allowed to die in line with their wishes. "Because I am not above the law, I am not able to comply with your request," Macron said in a letter to Cocq, which the patient published on his Facebook page. "I cannot ask anyone to go beyond our current legal framework... Your wish is to request active assistance in dying which is not currently permitted in our country."

Legal

Incredible but true: Terminally ill scientist extends life for decades by becoming "world's first full cyborg"

A British scientist who is terminally ill said he has transformed into “the world’s first full cyborg”. 61-year-old Peter Scott Morgan, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2017, said he decided to extend his life using technology. This week, the roboticist emerged after 24 days in intensive care to reveal that “Peter 2.0 is now online”. “All medical procedures now complete and a huge success,” Scott-Morgan wrote on a Twitter post. “Long research road ahead but in great spirits.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Just home from 24 days in Intensive Care. All medical procedures now complete and a huge success. My mini-ventilator keeping me breathing is a LOT quieter than Darth Vader’s. All speech is synthetic but at last sounds like me again. Long research road ahead but in great spirits. <a href="https://t.co/JPjwjagDLT">pic.twitter.com/JPjwjagDLT</a> — Dr Peter B Scott-Morgan (@DrScottMorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrScottMorgan/status/1193923007045132289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2019</a></blockquote> The processes Scott-Morgan underwent during his intensive care included a laryngectomy to avoid the danger of saliva potentially entering his lungs – which he described as trading his natural voice for “potentially decades of life”. He also had a laser eye surgery and developed a life-like avatar of his face, which was designed to respond using artificially intelligent body language. The scientist, who was told by experts he might only have until the end of this year to live, said last month: “I’m not dying, I’m transforming. Oh, how I love science.” Scott-Morgan said the transition, which turned him into “the most advanced human cybernetic organism ever created in 13.8 billion years”, would not be his last. “It won’t stop there; I’ve got more upgrades in progress than Microsoft,” he wrote on his website. “Mine isn’t just a version change. It’s a metamorphosis.” Scott-Morgan said MND, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, should be seen as an opportunity to “upgrade” rather than a death sentence. “Over time, more and more with MND, with extreme disability, with old age, with a passion simply to break free from their physical straightjacket, will choose to stand beside me,” he wrote. He is now lobbying British MPs for support for his Right to Thrive campaign, which calls for increased access for people with MND to life-sustaining technologies, including tracheostomy and cough-assist machine.

Body

The man who has been living at an airport terminal for 62 days

For the past 62 days, a man has been trapped in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The Syrian marketing manager, Hassan Al Kontar, spent the past decade working in the United Arab Emirates. Eventually, he was summoned to fight in Syria’s civil war and after he refused, the Syrian embassy in the UAE did not renew his passport in 2012. Without his passport, he could not renew his work permit, so he also lost his job. He went into hiding in the UAE for six years, but he was later detained by authorities and sent to Malaysia with a three-month work permit. After the three months ended, Hassan tried to fly to Ecuador, as the country allows Syrian nationals to enter visa-free. “I saved up enough money to buy a plane ticket on Turkish Airways. But for some reason, they did not allow me on the flight and I found myself back at square one,” he told the BBC. He then received a fine for “overstaying” in Malaysia and was “black-listed”, blocking him from legally entering the country. Hassan then tried to go to Cambodia, as Syrians can obtain a visa on arrival, but was refused entry. He was then flown back to Kuala Lumpur and has been stranded at the airport ever since. He sleeps under staircases and showers in the public bathrooms after midnight. <blockquote class="twitter-video"> What dose it mean to be a Syrian.. My story<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/airport_is_my_home?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#airport_is_my_home</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/syrian_stuck_at_airport?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#syrian_stuck_at_airport</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tomhanks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomhanks</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syria</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/guardian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@guardian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEconomist?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheEconomist</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TIME</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rampage?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rampage</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trump?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Trump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KeerthySuresh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KeerthySuresh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackBuck?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackBuck</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AvengersInfinityWar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AvengersInfinityWar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AvengersInfinityWar?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AvengersInfinityWar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTVBRKPOPEXO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTVBRKPOPEXO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mercury?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mercury</a> <a href="https://t.co/WiSWuuEZtS">pic.twitter.com/WiSWuuEZtS</a> — Hassan Al Kontar (@Kontar81) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kontar81/status/981925992481488896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2018</a></blockquote> Hassan is reliant on airport staff for supplies and a generous airline gives him packets of rice and chicken. His savings are quickly running out, but occasionally he treats himself to McDonald’s at the airport food court. “I am just counting days here, with no hope,” he said in a video posted on March 23. “I don’t know why I keep doing these videos; maybe somewhere deep inside my feelings or my heart I need someone who cares, someone who may [be] able to help, [but] somewhere I know it’s hopeless. It’s a false hope. “I don’t know what to do. It seems like it will be my home for a while. “It’s a difficult situation. There’s no place to shower, there’s no place to sleep. I’m even sick but there is no medicine.” Recently, Hassan's situation is looking brighter. The United Nations Refugee Agency has been in contact with him and has been working with Malaysian officials to review his situation. However, a group of residents from Canada could really turn his situation around. After Canadian woman Laurie Cooper came across Hassan’s story on Twitter, she began to send him money for food. She also started researching his options. “Originally we were just trying to find a safe place for him to go,” said Laurie. “But when we started researching his options, there really weren’t any good [ones] and it occurred to us that probably the simplest thing to do was to sponsor him to come here.” Laurie and her friends have now raised enough money to sponsor Hassan and have him set up with a job and accommodation in Canada. The residents have sent a request to the Canadian immigration minister, asking him to allow Hassan to travel to Canada while his application for a temporary resident permit is processed. In the meantime, Hassan is waiting at terminal two at Kuala Lumpur hopefully awaiting a new home in Canada. “I am a highly-qualified professional, desperate for a place where I can be safe, legal, not looking over my shoulder or being on the run,” he said. “A place where I can work and prove myself.”

International Travel

Mum with terminal brain cancer writes heartbreaking letter to two sons

A Melbourne mother with terminal brain cancer has written a heartbreaking letter to her two young boys when they grow up but now, her youngest son is also fighting for his life. Sara Chivers, 34, was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer in March, eight years after previously beating the disease. As Sara underwent surgery to shrink one of three aggressive tumours growing on her brain, the health of her 18-month-old son Alfie began to deteriorate. Alfie lost mobility in one side of his body and started shaking, so Sara rushed him to hospital, where a scan revealed the horrific news that Alfie also has brain cancer. <img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45244/6_500x334.jpg" alt="6 (5)"/> Sara is now doing everything she can to create lasting memories with her family and save her little boy’s life. In the emotional letter supplied to the New Daily, Sara explains to her two sons, Alfie and older brother Hugh, the kind of woman that she is. “I won't be around to see you grow up. It's a hard thing to say and even harder to face,” her letter begins. “I know your Dad, and our village of family and friends, will keep me alive for you as much as they can, but there are some things I want you to hear from me.” Sara explains in the letter that her favourite perfume is Michael Kors, her favourite meal is spaghetti bolognese and her favourite season is winter. “Don't be afraid of expressing your emotions. I will never tire of hearing 'I love you' from Leigh, you boys, my family, friends. “Pay attention to study but know there is so much more to school life than textbooks. Play team sports. Try a musical instrument. Learn a language.” Sara then encourages her boys to “love hard”, be brave in their convictions and always be strong as a family. <img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45245/7_500x334.jpg" alt="7 (4)"/> “Be kind to your Dad. It won't be easy for him raising you alone, but every decision he makes will be with your best interests at heart,” Sara writes. “He is an exceptional father and role model. Don't let him doubt himself or the wonderful job he will do shaping you into the men I dream of you growing up to be. “There will come a time when he wants to find happiness again with a new partner. Accept and embrace his choice, and know she will be a positive female influence in your lives too. “I have absolute faith that he will make the right decision, for him and you both, and I hope she enriches your lives as much as you've all enriched mine." Her powerful letter finishes with a few words to her loving husband Leigh. “He is my companion, my rock, my everything. It was always him. Always will be.” While Sara’s chances of survival are slim, she is doing everything she can to save the life of Alfie saying, "I won't let him become a statistic.” Sara has undergone surgery on the largest tumour, improving her mobility and quality of life as she fights for Alfie. The brave little boy has had three surgeries to remove the fluid from his brain and give him a chance to beat the disease. In the last three decades, the survival rates for brain cancer have not improved. Sara’s sister Stephanie has set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/sara-alfies-brain-cancer-battle" target="_blank">fundraising page</a> for those hoping to help with the Chivers family’s costly battle against cancer. For those wanting to financially support brain cancer research in Australia, Sara recommends <a href="http://www.curebraincancer.org.au/" target="_blank">Cure Brain Cancer</a> or <a href="http://www.carriesbeanies4braincancer.com/" target="_blank">Carries Beanies 4 Cancer</a>. Sara’s letter: I won't be around to see you grow up. It's a hard thing to say and even harder to face. You will have to hear from others the little things that made me me: my perfume of choice is Michael Kors, my favourite meal is spaghetti bolognese, winter is my preferred season. I wish I was a better cook. I'm a keeper of mementos – tiny hospital name tags, the poem Leigh wrote for my 21st birthday, first baby clothes. I know your Dad, and our village of family and friends, will keep me alive for you as much as they can, but there are some things I want you to hear from me. Don't be afraid of expressing your emotions. I will never tire of hearing 'I love you' from Leigh, you boys, my family, friends. Love hard. As they say, it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. That's how I feel about you both. Heartbroken doesn't come close to describing the pain I feel at not being in your lives in the future, but I would never change or forego the time we have spent together and the immense joy you have brought me. You are without a doubt my proudest accomplishments. Pay attention to study but know there is so much more to school life than textbooks. Play team sports. Try a musical instrument. Learn a language. Always try your best; I could never ask any more of you. Never fear failure – you will learn more from mistakes than successes. There's never anything more certain than change so embrace it. Don't be afraid to try new things. Travel as much as possible – it will shape who you are. Be brave in your convictions and believe in yourself. Never tease or ridicule someone because they're different to you. You will be a better person by surrounding yourself with people who will challenge your views and beliefs. I can never emphasise enough the importance of good table manners. Remember to say please and thank you. Address your friends' parents by Mrs, Ms or Mr unless told otherwise. Make your bed when you stay at other people's houses, and always offer to clear their table and do the dishes. You will have friends for a season, friends for a reason, friends for life. It won't take too long to work out which ones fall into which category. Family comes first. We will always be there for you to fall back on regardless of any mistakes or bad choices, and will help you through tough times and to celebrate life's wins. Be kind to your Dad. It won't be easy for him raising you alone, but every decision he makes will be with your best interests at heart. He is an exceptional father and role model. Don't let him doubt himself or the wonderful job he will do shaping you into the men I dream of you growing up to be. There will come a time when he wants to find happiness again with a new partner. Accept and embrace his choice, and know she will be a positive female influence in your lives too. I have absolute faith that he will make the right decision, for him and you both, and I hope she enriches your lives as much as you've all enriched mine. Your Dad is the most admirable, courageous man I have ever known. He is my companion, my rock, my everything. He has shown true grit in the face of our adversities, and without him beside me I would have crumbled. I will be forever grateful for the time we spent together, the memories we created, the love we shared. It was always him. Always will be. Love, Mum Source: The New Daily

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The man who has been living at an airport terminal for 62 days

Mum with terminal brain cancer writes heartbreaking letter to two sons

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Legendary soccer icon told he has “at best a year to live”

F1 caller faces termination over "abhorrent" Schumacher comment

Terminally-ill rugby player carried across marathon finish line by his best mate

Man who lived in airport for 18 years dies

"He is everything to me": Why Johnny Ruffo is hanging on for Christmas

Type of person who struggles with the idea of terminal illness

Aussie with terminal cancer uses time left to make her mark

Terminally ill nurse caught in desperate waiting game

"I had no choice": Tragic reason why F1 boss took his own life

Aunt "refuses" to take on kids when her terminally ill sister dies

Terminally ill teen donates his life savings to a boy with cancer

Terminally ill man graduates college alongside his granddaughter

Tragic update from wife of terminally ill veteran

Veteran with terminal cancer speechless after Blue Wiggle’s kind act

Forever love: A dying man's final farewell to his wife

Brave terminally ill bride's battle comes to a tragic end

Facebook blocks terminally ill man from live streaming his death

Incredible but true: Terminally ill scientist extends life for decades by becoming "world's first full cyborg"

The man who has been living at an airport terminal for 62 days

Mum with terminal brain cancer writes heartbreaking letter to two sons

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