Adrian Sudbury was an amazing young man. In the words of his blog: He "had been a reporter for both the Huddersfield Express and Chronicle Series and the Huddersfield Examiner. In November 2006 the 25-year-old was promoted to digital journalist, effectively editing the new-look Examiner website. Just two days into his new role he became seriously ill and called in sick. A week later he drove himself to A&E and was eventually diagnosed with leukaemia. It was then identified that he actually has two distinct types of the disease running at the same time. According to the medical literature he is the only person in the world to have this condition."
Despite the unenviable situation he found himself in, he kept himself and those around him positive.
-"Needless to say being diagnosed with two types of leukaemia was a bit of a blow yet bizarrely my ego was purring at potentially being a sort of 'world first'. If only it had been in something slightly less life threatening."
Unfortunately, his condition went from bad to worst. A bone marrow transplant failed to rid him of the disease and began giving him additional complications when the donors cells started attacking his own. He was told in May 2008 he had weeks/months to live.
-"For new readers to this blog I sometimes wonder if you think I am making this shite up. My life has gone crazy and seems to derail spectacularly every seven to 12 days.
I wish I was making all this up. I promise you, up until l was 25 I had a fairly steady existence which included a girlfriend, going to work, going out and playing football once a week with colleagues.
Now I'm like a character in Hollyoaks, just slightly less attractive."
Despite this, he wanted it noted that without any treatment, without blood and bone marrow transfusions, he would have died back in late 06/early 07. He never stopped thanking his annomous bone marrow donor from Germany and the countless blood donors he required during treatment. He was appalled to discover 16,000 patients requiring bone marrow are currently dying without being given that chance because a matching donor hasn't been found. He was shocked to learn the process of donating bone marrow is far easier than most people realise, himself included, and disgusted by the thought that if only more people knew that, maybe those 16,000 people would have a fighting chance.
"What would you say if I said stem cell donation differed little from giving blood?
You'd probably say something like, "Shut up Sudders, I'm tired of your online cancer whinging, and if I was a bone marrow donor someone would need to smash my spine."
I have a degree in Physiology, have spent five months in and out of a haematology ward, and I'm still staggered that I have only learnt what stem cell donation is really like.
There is a huge amount of confusion on the issue. I used to give blood but never thought about donating stem cells because I thought there was a slight risk of paralysis.
The reality is very different."
In his last months he devoted himself to helping others. He began a campaign which successfully got the government in the UK to agree to educate all 14/15 year olds and the majority of 17/18 year olds into what donation actually involves, how simple the process is and how it can and does save lives. He had interviews with Gordon Brown, spoke on international TV with audiences of over 170 million, was regularly on Radio and his blog won several awards for being simply outstanding. His blog is now also being turned into a book.
Please check out his blog: http://baldyblog.freshblogs.co.uk
Adrian passed away August 20th 2008. Even towards the end he remained filled with overwhelming positive energy. An inspiration to us all.
"As I keep saying - don't feel sorry for me. I'm having a blast."
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Olympics Final Score
Well the Olympics is over for another 4 years and everyone wants to know the final score. Who won? How did there country do?
Well it's not always a straight forward answer.
In terms of gold medals, the ranking is:
1. China - 51
2. USA - 36
3. Russia - 23
4. UK - 19
Well done China. However, in terms of total medals, the ranking changes:
1.USA - 110
2.China - 100
3. Russia - 72
4. UK - 47
Unsurprisingly, our good old cousins from across the pond prefer this method of scoring. But everyone knows not all medals are equal and it's crazy to score them as if they were. The simple example of gold = 3 points, silver =2 and bronze = 1 gives:
1. China - 246
2. USA - 220
3. Russia - 134
4. UK - 102
Slightly fairer, but it still doesn't take into account the real attitudes towards medals.
Here, for the first time in Olympic history, the new undisputedly perfectly fair method of medal scoring is unveiled.
Golds:
The first 10 gold medals are fantastic and thus worth 6 points each
The next 10 gold medals are great but nothing new and thus worth 2 points each.
Anything after 20 is unnessary and thus not scored.
Silvers:
The first 10 are OK and worth 1 point each.
The next 5 become painful, "so close to gold" and thus result in the lose of a point for each
Anything after 15 is really painful and thus loses 2 points each.
Bronze:
The first 10 aren't noticed.
The second 10 are OK, "at least we got a medal", 1 point each.
Anything after 20 aren't noticed.
Much research into the attitudes of both spectators and atheletes shows this scoring is 100% accurate and has, at time of writing, never been argued with by anyone ever. In addition this system has the added benefit of having a maximum score of 100.
Taking this to be the unquestionable true scoring system then, the final ranking for the 2008 Beijing Olympics is:
1. UK - 88
2. China - 83
2. Russia - 83
...
10. USA - 49
Congradulations to the UK, worlds greatest. Well done to China and Russia, good efforts, very close. USA? 10th? Poor performance, better luck in London.
Well it's not always a straight forward answer.
In terms of gold medals, the ranking is:
1. China - 51
2. USA - 36
3. Russia - 23
4. UK - 19
Well done China. However, in terms of total medals, the ranking changes:
1.USA - 110
2.China - 100
3. Russia - 72
4. UK - 47
Unsurprisingly, our good old cousins from across the pond prefer this method of scoring. But everyone knows not all medals are equal and it's crazy to score them as if they were. The simple example of gold = 3 points, silver =2 and bronze = 1 gives:
1. China - 246
2. USA - 220
3. Russia - 134
4. UK - 102
Slightly fairer, but it still doesn't take into account the real attitudes towards medals.
Here, for the first time in Olympic history, the new undisputedly perfectly fair method of medal scoring is unveiled.
Golds:
The first 10 gold medals are fantastic and thus worth 6 points each
The next 10 gold medals are great but nothing new and thus worth 2 points each.
Anything after 20 is unnessary and thus not scored.
Silvers:
The first 10 are OK and worth 1 point each.
The next 5 become painful, "so close to gold" and thus result in the lose of a point for each
Anything after 15 is really painful and thus loses 2 points each.
Bronze:
The first 10 aren't noticed.
The second 10 are OK, "at least we got a medal", 1 point each.
Anything after 20 aren't noticed.
Much research into the attitudes of both spectators and atheletes shows this scoring is 100% accurate and has, at time of writing, never been argued with by anyone ever. In addition this system has the added benefit of having a maximum score of 100.
Taking this to be the unquestionable true scoring system then, the final ranking for the 2008 Beijing Olympics is:
1. UK - 88
2. China - 83
2. Russia - 83
...
10. USA - 49
Congradulations to the UK, worlds greatest. Well done to China and Russia, good efforts, very close. USA? 10th? Poor performance, better luck in London.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Another Day
*Brrriiinggg* *Brriiiinnng*
"..urgh..."
*Brrriiinggg* *Brriiiinnng*
Jean fumbled her arm out of bed and across the desk to grab her phone. Asking Dave to wake her up early had seemed like such a good idea last night. Would allow her to get the hotel breakfast. Well it had worked, but she hadn't slept enough to compensate for a day that had been exhaustingly great. A day simply wasn't designed long enough for so much stuff.
Jean staggered off for complementary hotel food. Breakfast consisted of a wide variety of things, none of which was cereal, which she consumed in the front of her lovely hotel restaurant.
After breakfast she went to play. Her and her friend went to tour the beautiful Sanya. An hour in she visited a very relaxing spar. One of the treatments on offer involved sitting in a pool full of little fish and letting them nibble at her dead skin. She found it oddly enjoyable.
Returning to the streets, they checked out the local beaches and decided to go diving. Then she went down into water, playing around with all the little amazingly coloured fish.
They went off to buy some more food. Limitless veg, meat, fish and oysters fresh from the source. Yum. They ate at a restaurant in front of the sea, watching the waves.
Eventually returning to the hotel, they switched on the TV and got down to some great programmes. A little later her Dave called, they chatted together while she carried on watching the TV, although at a much reduced concentration.
Finally exhausted, she set Dave the task of being her alarm. Despite being placed as far away from her bed as he could be, he still had his uses. In fact, if he were with her, she would probably just wack him and go back to sleep. Then she finally went to bed.
*Snorr*
Note, for other days, activities varied greatly, including jetskiing, shoe shopping, visting aquariums and pleanty more great food.
Two weeks down, two months to go.
Back to the beach.
"..urgh..."
*Brrriiinggg* *Brriiiinnng*
Jean fumbled her arm out of bed and across the desk to grab her phone. Asking Dave to wake her up early had seemed like such a good idea last night. Would allow her to get the hotel breakfast. Well it had worked, but she hadn't slept enough to compensate for a day that had been exhaustingly great. A day simply wasn't designed long enough for so much stuff.
Jean staggered off for complementary hotel food. Breakfast consisted of a wide variety of things, none of which was cereal, which she consumed in the front of her lovely hotel restaurant.
After breakfast she went to play. Her and her friend went to tour the beautiful Sanya. An hour in she visited a very relaxing spar. One of the treatments on offer involved sitting in a pool full of little fish and letting them nibble at her dead skin. She found it oddly enjoyable.
Returning to the streets, they checked out the local beaches and decided to go diving. Then she went down into water, playing around with all the little amazingly coloured fish.
They went off to buy some more food. Limitless veg, meat, fish and oysters fresh from the source. Yum. They ate at a restaurant in front of the sea, watching the waves.
Eventually returning to the hotel, they switched on the TV and got down to some great programmes. A little later her Dave called, they chatted together while she carried on watching the TV, although at a much reduced concentration.
Finally exhausted, she set Dave the task of being her alarm. Despite being placed as far away from her bed as he could be, he still had his uses. In fact, if he were with her, she would probably just wack him and go back to sleep. Then she finally went to bed.
*Snorr*
Note, for other days, activities varied greatly, including jetskiing, shoe shopping, visting aquariums and pleanty more great food.
Two weeks down, two months to go.
Back to the beach.
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