Today it's songs beginning with O and a more serious topic just for this one post. As I've said every day this month, some songs are about more than moons and Junes and this is especially true of today's 1990 song which raised money for a charity that's very close to our family's hearts.
1960s: Only the Lonely - Roy Orbison [...There goes my baby, there goes my heart, they're gone forever, so far apart...]
1970s: Only Yesterday - The Carpenters [After long enough of being alone, everyone must face their share of loneliness...]
1980s: One Of Us - Abba [...one of us is crying, one of us is lying, in her lonely bed...]
1990s: One Heart at a Time - Garth Brooks
One Heart at a Time
I'm not quoting lyrics for this song. It's all about the cause and it's one that has sadly touched our family. Garth Brooks was part of a team who wrote and sung One Heart at a Time to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited disease which mainly affects the breathing. The body is unable to eliminate mucus in the lungs and so sufferers are continually susceptible to lung infections and have to endure daily physio to clear the lungs and medications to help the body digest food and to prevent infections. Because of problems with digesting food some sufferers struggle with mal-nourishment and are physically small for their age.
When I first met my husband his son was eighteen and had a severe form of Cystic Fibrosis. His health was rapildy deteriorating and three years later, in 1989, he had a heart lung transplant. This process was still experimental but his lungs were so badly damaged that he had no other choice. Sadly he died a week later. He was a warm, friendly boy and the abiding memory I have of him is his laughter.
As I said, he had a severe form of CF. Some people manage to live with it. My very good Blogger friend, Anne Mackle, lives a full and active life with CF. Do pop over and visit her at Is Anyone There. She's doing the A to Z too.
When will they discover cures for these and so many other crippling illnesses?
I just lost a family member to cancer, so this post hit home-- When will they find a cure?
ReplyDeleteOn another note, thanks, Ros, for being there. You and the others have practically taken up all my burden in the challenge, and I can never thank you all enough.
First to Damyanti, sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteGreat O songs songs I have loved over the years.
Yvonne.
Dreadful news Damyanti. The challenge often has personal challenges that take over our lives. Take care.
ReplyDeleteRos, you're doing a brilliant job. Well done and this is a thoughtful post. Not sure others will agree when they have to listen to me singing this carpenters sone for the rest of the day now! xx
must read comments before posting.. and type slower.. sorry.. song..
ReplyDelete!!I I think a cure will be found for CF it's money that is stopping them finding it. I speak to a young girl on twitter from Germany her lung function was only 18% she was on 100% oxygen all day, she was too ill for a transplant. In January they gave her a new drug taken in an inhaler her lung function is now 46% and rising she was able to leave hospital for the first time in 8 mnths and be off oxygen for short times. They are so close to a cure just needs that extra push.
ReplyDeleteCystic Fibrosis is the most commonly inherited disease in the UK, it affects so many families. It's so sad Ros that transplants were maybe not as efficient when your step son had his as they are today although it is a last resort you don't want to think of. Very thoughtful post Ros .
Sorry for your loss Damyanti.
I'm with Anne here - if we made a commitment to spending the money on medical research, I'm sure we'd find solutions to CF, and cancer, and many other conditions that can make lives miserable. It seems the government thinks it has more important things to spend its money on ...
ReplyDeleteHow sad about your stepson. This post is a weird coincidence for me - I am reading a book at the moment by Rosamund Lupton called "Sister", and the main character's brother suffered from CF. From the way she writes about it I get the feeling she has personal experience.
ReplyDeleteI learned to appreciate Orbison as I got older. I enjoyed him in The Traveling Wilbery's.
ReplyDeleteKatie atBankerchick Scratchings
Oh, I didn't know about this Brooks song. Very sorry to hear about your husband's son.
ReplyDeleteRoy Orbison. One of my favortie songs listed here.
ReplyDeleteKaTy Did at: Life's Ride As I See It
"Only the Lonely"! Not all of Roy Orbison's stuff is great, but his great ones are truly memorable! This one is one of my favorites. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ros .. I join with the others in our thoughts to your husband and their relatives - losing a son must be so difficult.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see the Channel 4 documentary on Alex Stubbs an Eton scholar with cystic fibrosis? It was absolutely amazing and really eye opening .. he's studying music at King's College Cambridge ... ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Stobbs in case you haven't .. and the links to the programmes are still up.
Great choice of O .. One heart at a time ... Hilary