LiveSTRONG

Today, I purchased an insignificant yelloy band!!!!!!A while ago my son Paul was diagnosed at the age of 30 with Testicular Cancer. When I was first told of his condition I fell apart, I sobbed, I reproached myself (why wasn,t it me?)my wife was very much stronger although inwardly she was as deeply concerned.

I immediately got on to the net and checked out the disease and familiarised myself whith it to the best of my non technical ability. During this period I came across a man called Lance Armstrong whom I had never heard of previously. It turned out that he had suffered with the same Cancer (and more he had a brain tumour too) and he was a winner of the Tour de France cycle race, which I had little knowledge or interest in at tht time.

He had "over come" his Big "C" and had written a book about his fight so I contacted the publishers for some way that I could ask him to contact my son to give him some encouragement, during this terrible time. I really didnt, at that time understand that he was actually a "superstar" in his own field and that he had also set up the Lance Armstrong foundation, to add to his work load as well as still being a competitor in the world of cycling ( and indeed has won another two Tour de France races since with a third in the frame).

The publisher explained that I might contact the foundation direct and make the request and thanked me for the call. I really didn`t want to further inconvenience any efforts that he (LAF) was making in the cause etc so I made no further inroads to them.

Within the next couple of days I recieved a package (bearing in mind that publishers print books for money) and recieved a copy of Lance Armstrongs book, with a letter wishing my son the very best in his fight. You can imagine how I felt at the time! I gave my son the book having read it myself in one go, and wrote to the publisher with my heartfelt thanks.

Today I managed to buy a couple of "liveSTRONG" bands, these simple yellow plastic bands denote one of the many ways the Lance Armstrongs Foundation has of raising the awareness of Testicular Cancer, at the same time raising some cash. They are rare in my neck of the woods and I shall wear it with Pride, knowing that I have recognised the need to fight along side those who are stricken with this terrible disease.