Seve Ballesteros has died of brain cancer
We’ve just received the extremely sad news that golfing legend Seve Ballesteros has lost his fight against brain cancer.
I had the great honour of meeting Seve and his family at his home in Pedrena in Northern Spain, when we first established the Seve Ballesteros Foundation partnership in 2009. My thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time.
Seve was a hero to many for all he achieved during his career, but never more so than in the months after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. His personal battle against the disease, and his determination to help others through his Foundation, was truly inspirational.
Seve’s experience brought a much needed spotlight onto brain cancer, and Cancer Research UK was honoured to join forces with his Foundation to work towards our shared goal of beating brain cancer. It’s a huge challenge but one that Seve was committed to making a reality.
The partnership with Cancer Research UK has already raised over £700,000 towards ambitious and vital research that will help improve diagnosis and treatment of brain cancers in the future.
Today we have lost a man who will be much missed and remembered the world over for what he achieved – both on and off the golf course.
He will be greatly missed.
Harpal Kumar,
CEO, Cancer Research UK
Comments
Clare Moynihan May 17, 2011
I have had cancer and know that there were days that I simply could not ‘fight’. There were other days when I felt that there was a way forward even it it was simply to accept the treatment offered me. If a positive outlook and fighting the battle gives patients a way of getting through, that is one thing and I applaud it. It is another when the conceptual elements in the fighting spirit message transmits itself to people’s sense of failure and all that goes with that.
But most importantly my thoughts are with Steve Ballesteros’s family and my admiration for him is huge.
Ian Mullins May 10, 2011
Hi Harpal,
I read your note regards Seve with interest, are you aware that that we (TheSocialGolfer.com) are currently running a project with one of our members Trevor Sandford – he is embarking on a journey around the M25, playing a different course at each junction in August, all in aid of Cancer Research. We would love your help with this, especially in light of the sdad news over the weekend!
Hope to hear from you.
Ian
Maria Varela May 9, 2011
Another legend that has left us… a sad day
Andy Woolley May 7, 2011
R.I.P Seve you are a legend amigo !
teresa wilford May 7, 2011
Oh Clare honey until you have had cancer you have no idea what the word BATTLE means and to FIGHT each day through treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and surgery, this how it is you battle to get back to the person you were before the cancer came , you fight to stay positive every day of your life and i do that every day not just for me but for all the people that have supported me in my journey with breast cancer xxxxx
Bob Carroll May 7, 2011
one of the Greats of our time!May he rest in peace.
very sad you will be missed very much god bless
Clare Moynihan May 7, 2011
Yes, he was indeed, a wonderful man and it great that you honour him But shame that your message holds that his disease was a ‘battle’ and that he ‘lost the fight’. This kind of language simply perpetuates the sense of separation between the man, his body and the disease – as if it was ‘other’; distancing ourselves from what so many people go through as if it were something we did to get cancer and something we didn’t do to erase it. So, most importantly, there is a sense that Steve Ballesteros has ‘failed’ because he didn’t win the so called ‘battle’. This sense of failure when someone dies of cancer, is everywhere, (just read the daily obits) not least in real life cancer patients who I had the privilege of working with, and often financed by you! Patients and their relatives reiterated this sense of failure when death was inevitable – they hadn’t apparently, fought hard enough, because if it is true that fighting cures, then death is surely the patients’ fault. Perhaps the best place to start to change this pernicious message is at the Cancer Research UK?
Susan December 18, 2011
To Ian
Yes, I actually saw about that event on sky news, but did not pay enough attention, now I regret it, Steve was ended legend, RIP.