Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Did anyone watch this on bbc3 last night? I was in tears most of the way through. I think Miss JB is going to be having lots of cuddles today.


For those who didn't see it - it was a documentary following the last months of life of a 21 year old with terminal cancer. Clearly not a cheery subject but Alex was inspiring. Makes you appreciate what you have - and puts all those worries about getting the best pram etc into perspective.

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/18570-alex-a-life-fast-forward/
Share on other sites

Yes, I watched it after having read reviews on BBC and in a newspaper. It was beautifully filmed and I also cried many tears. I have worked as a psychologist in cancer palliative care services and sometimes medical teams can forget the human impact. This is a poignant reminder.
Ali's sister (one of the bridesmaids at the wedding) is one of my best friends and so I feel lucky to know the Strain family. The documentary was done beautifully and reflects who these people actually are - Ali really is that nice a person, the documentary wasn't over-sentimentalised at all. I liked the way the programme focused on Alex's zest for life as well as his death - something we could all learn from. I know that one of the main reasons the docu was filmed was because the families wanted to raise awareness and money for this particular type of cancer so lets hope they achieve their aim.
I too just watched this on iPlayer, and it was really close to home for me, I knew a few people in the documentary having grown up just a few minutes away from the village. I too was amazed at the courage and bravery shown by everybody involved. Its beautiful they made such a bad situation the best it could be for everybody in Alex's life. Its so nice he got to meet Ali and find that kind of fulfillment in the final stages of his life. I hope the family get everything they aimed to out of making this documentary, it does really show life is what you make it! Very touching story..

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • The current wave of xenophobia is due to powerful/influential people stirring up hatred.  It;'s what happened in the past, think 1930s Germany.  It seems to be even easier now as so many get their information from social media, whether it is right or wrong.  The media seeking so called balance will bring some nutter on, they don't then bring a nutter on to counteract that. They now seem to turn to Reform at the first opportunity. So your life is 'shite', let;s blame someone else.  Whilst sounding a bit like a Tory, taking some ownership/personal responsibility would be a start.  There are some situations where that may be more challenging, in deindustrialised 'left behind' wasteland we can't all get on our bikes and find work.  But I loathe how it is now popular to blame those of us from relatively modest backgrounds, like me, who did see education and knowledge as a way to self improve. Now we are seen by some as smug liberals......  
    • Kwik Fit buggered up an A/C leak diagnosis for me (saying there wasn't one, when there was) and sold a regas. The vehicle had to be taken to an A/C specialist for condensor replacement and a further regas. Not impressed.
    • Yes, these are all good points. I agree with you, that division has led us down dangerous paths in the past. And I deplore any kind of racism (as I think you probably know).  But I feel that a lot of the current wave of xenophobia we're witnessing is actually more about a general malaise and discontent. I know non-white people around here who are surprisingly vocal about immigrants - legal or otherwise. I think this feeling transcends skin colour for a lot of people and isn't as simple as, say, the Jew hatred of the 1930s or the Irish and Black racism that we saw laterally. I think people feel ignored and looked down upon.  What you don't realise, Sephiroth, is that I actually agree with a lot of what you're saying. I just think that looking down on people because of their voting history and opinions is self-defeating. And that's where Labour's getting it wrong and Reform is reaping the rewards.   
    • @Sephiroth you made some interesting points on the economy, on the Lammy thread. Thought it worth broadening the discussion. Reeves (irrespective of her financial competence) clearly was too downbeat on things when Labour came into power. But could there have been more honesty on the liklihood of taxes going up (which they have done, and will do in any case due to the freezing of personal allowances).  It may have been a silly commitment not to do this, but were you damned if you do and damned if you don't?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...