Kerryn was a dual Commonwealth Games marathon gold mealist and mother to three young children. She was only 41 years old.

Kerryn was an inspiration to many people in Australia, especially when at 38 years of age she defended her Commonwealth title in Melbourne, powering home over the final 200m to clinch gold just two seconds ahead of Kenyan Hellen Cherono Koskei.

Kerryn was diagnosed with breast cancer in August of last year during her pregnancy. She delayed having chemotherapy until after her sons birth.

They induced an early labour at 34 weeks and she begun an 18 week course of chemotherapy.

Kerryn beat breast cancer but was diagnosed four months ago with liver cancer.

She leaves behind her husband, Greg and 3 children Benton, 11, Josie, 5, and Cooper, 14 months. They were at her bedside overnight when she died at their home near Wollongong in NSW.

Kerryn showed us that the greatest power we have is to never give up even when it looks like you can’t go any further or harder. She continues to inspire.

The absolute tragedy is that apart from being 48 years old, he had chosen to ignore the many signs leading up to his diagnosis. It wasn’t that he was unaware of his health issues but that he simply put it in the back of his mind and went on denying he had a potential problem.

The very sad reality is, had he seen a doctor when his symptoms first appeared, he may have been able to receive treatment that at the very least extended his life and at the very most, put him in remission.
He was a father to a 13 year old daughter and I am so very sad for her today.

His wife was initially angry with her husband. She had repeatedly told him to seek medical advice but he was insistent that it was nothing to worry about.
The tragedy is that he has left a wife behind who is now dealing with guilt and anger for not pushing him to see a doctor and a young woman devistated that her Dad is not with her today.

I know that for many men it is simply easier to try and ignore their health but please, take it seriously. You are Husbands, Dads, Sons and Brothers and the void you leave behind is often unbearable for your loved ones.

It is ironic that most men take the responsibility of being a parent seriously. They work hard to provide happy childhoods for their children and provide them with everything they can. Yet, so many don’t take responsibility of their health when in-fact, it’s the most important thing they should be doing.

Take care of yourself and see a doctor regularly and especially if you know or suspect there might be an issue with your health.

Jane passed away after a long batter with breast cancer and leaves behind two beautiful young children and Glenn.
It’s really hard to know where to begin in trying to capture just how inspirational this woman was. She really did light up a room and in many ways outshone her super sportsman husband. It never did seem to bother Glenn McGrath. You could tell he was totally in-love with this beautiful, vibrant and strong woman.

Rather than just focus on her own battle with cancer which she was more entitled to do, Jane and Glenn campaigned tirelessly, raising money and awareness of breast cancer culminating in the foundation of the McGrath Foundation.

To try and put into words how special this lady was is almost impossible but this might help to explain. My partners Dad, Bill recently visited from Texas and one night we watched one of Australia’s finest interviewers, Andrew Denton talking with Glenn and Jane McGrath. The interview was really more about Glenn and his sporting accomplishments. But Jane just had this ability to draw your attention, not intentionally. She had this calmness about her and a beaming smile. The interview quickly went from talking to Glenn to Andrew Denton being drawn to Jane and hearing about her initial diagnosis to her ongoing fight to beat this disease.
Her strength, composure, quiet determination and will to survive was an inspiration. Bill, who knew nothing of this woman or her husband was so overwhelmed by her that he didn’t take his eyes of the TV for the entire interview. I would say that there are very few people who can be so compelling and genuine as to be able to move someone who knows nothing of them to hope with all his heart and soul that she survived. I just know he will be so sad to hear of her passing when we email him later tonight.

We have lost so many amazing women like Jane to a horrible disease. Let’s hope that Jane’s fight will inspire others to carry on and for research to continue to find a cure.

To Jane’s loving family both in Australia and England, we are so sorry for your loss.

I have included the interview Jane and Glenn did with Andrew Denton and highly recommend you watch it.

Related Links

• http://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/

According to the report, one large glass of wine a night can increase the risk of breast cancer by a whopping 60%.

One of the biggest issues is that wine glasses have increased in size, in the UK a standard drink is measured in units. A large glass of wine is now equivalent to three units. So woman are drinking more and increasing their risk of breast cancer plus multiple other health risks.

The news isn’t much better for men. Drinking one pint of beer or a large glass of wine a night increases the risk of bowel cancer by 10% or 1 in 20.

So there is certainly enough reason for people to either stop drinking altogether or reducing the amount they consume. My partner and I have already taken this on-board and have done away with our large glasses and replaced with smaller ones. We don’t drink at all during the week and will have 2 over the course of the weekend.

I’ve never been a big drinker and for as long as I can remember I have always felt like there was a need to defend myself. Going to parties or any social gathering, alcohol would be more or less pushed at you. The moment you say no, people look at you like you like there’s something wrong with you! Infact, some of my closest family would call me boring.

It’s even harder for men. Take the case of 58 year old Brian, married and a father of two who was a heavy drinker. He was the life the party and would go out to get drunk. Brian, like most Australian men was a moderate to high drinker. He had gone from drinking beer in his 20′s to scotch in his 30′s and through his 40′s.

Brian decided to quit drinking about 12 years ago after a serious accident which resulted in some pretty heavy medications. The alcohol was not sitting well and his family noticed a huge difference in his mood over the coming months. The weight piled on and so did the amount he consumed.

One of the first things he noticed after quitting was that his friends and some family members started to tease him. They would tease him mercilessly and joke about his decision. Being called a whimp, boring and a loser was a fairly common occurrence. Interestingly though, they were more than happy for him to drive them home after a big night out boozing!

He was more than capable of taking the friendly jokes and has continued to not drink. Over the years, friends have relented and some have even congratulated him on sticking with it.

So why is it that people who choose not to drink are treated this way? I have a few thoughts on this. My leading theory is that people find it quite threatening. Whether by choice or habit, they continue to drink, so seeing someone who has stopped brings the truth a little too close to home.

Another is that people have it in their heads that you have to be drunk to have a good time. I don’t know when or why this has happened but it’s pretty clear that this perception is played out in many parties both under age and over every weekend. It’s not age discriminate either. There are plenty of people who should know better that get blind drunk at parties and think it’s a good night out.

The reality is, even though we now know there is a strong like between cancer and drinking many people, kids included will continue to drink much more than they should. Some will develop serious drinking problems which will affect the rest of their life.

The sad reality is that the thought of being a social outcast whether through friends joking around with you or more serious bullying might be enough for some people to continue drinking, regardless of the risks.

I can only suggest that those who are drinking every night consider reducing their consumption and maybe just drink on the weekend and not as much.

Personally, I think people who choose not to drink should be congratulated and admired.

The study also found using a solarium just once increased an individual’s chance of developing the rarest and deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma by 22 per cent.

Last year, the dangers of using solariums was highlighted by a very brave and young Clare Oliver who passed away at the age of 26 from skin cancer in September.
Clare was a regular user of solariums and also sun baked regularly at the beach but after discovering a lump under her arm which was later diagnosed as melanoma.

She worked hard in her final weeks to make the public aware of the dangers of solariums and sun baking. Clare Oliver Melanoma Fund

The widget has been built by a group called VisualDxHealth.com and it looks like it might be useful to anyone interested in melanoma identification.

It is important to note that you need to go and see your GP as soon as you notice any change in your skin.

Learn the ABCs of melanoma identification. By understanding the 5 signs of this type of skin cancer, you can greatly reduce your risk of a serious health problem.

Included are definitions, animations, and self-care tips on each of the key identifiers of melanoma. Use this as a guide to your monthly skin cancer self-exam.

Also, make use of our trusted health-care search to answer your other health questions.

The EU’s consumer Chief has stated that there is a need to reinforce the message that there is no such thing as 100% protection from the sun and that people need to make informed choices about the products they purchase.

I live in Australia and skin cancers are an all too familiar part of life here.

Up until recently I had no idea that alot of the sunscreen products on the market were not as good as stated on the packaging.

If you visit any beach, you will see people lathering themselves up with sunscreen under the assumption that they are protected.

Take the time to read the labels and ensure that you are getting the best protection against the sun and avoid a potentially deadly disease.

Links of interest:

• The Skin Cancer Foundation
• MedlinePlus: Skin Cancer
• Skin cancer – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Skin Cancer Home Page – National Cancer Institute
• Skin cancer – MayoClinic.com

Australian Links

• The Cancer Council Australia
• SunSmart

Breast cancer in men just doesn’t get much press and the majority of health information is tailored towards women.

You might be surprised to hear that over 2,000 cases of breast cancer in men are diagnosed each year and over 450 die from the disease.

This story should be read by men and partners or family members alike.

CNN.com – ‘Lonely journey’ for male breast cancer patient

Additional resources: