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Old 01-21-2014, 01:10 PM   #44
lumberjim
I can hear my ears
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 25,571
Quote:
Originally Posted by footfootfoot View Post
My list this year:

Joost van der Westhulzen
I didn't recognize this name, so I googled it and came up with this article from last November:

Quote:

He is sitting in an upstairs room at the University of Edinburgh’s Peffermill Playing Fields, 42 years old and in a wheelchair, 89 caps, 38 tries and one World Cup and none of it matters any more to Joost van der Westhuizen as he talks about the importance of family and what really matters in life. There are two things that we as humans take for granted. One is health and the other is time and the great Springbok scrum-half is not blessed with either

Diagnosed with motor neurone disease in May 2011, Van der Westhuizen was given a 20 per cent chance of surviving five years while at the same time being told he might not make it to Christmas. But here he is in Scotland, strapped into his wheelchair for fear of falling forwards, speaking with great difficulty, unable to use his arms and admitting that what he has is a death sentence, but smiling all the while and saying that he’s going to fight it. He’ll fight it with everything he’s got
and you wonder why people accuse you of cheating? I don't know that this is against the rules...per se... but it seems a bit of a foregone conclusion.
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This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality
Embrace this moment, remember
We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan
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