Toon and country

Dec 22 2006 By David Banks, The Journal

So, this is Christmas/And what have I done?/Another year over/And a new life just begun - (Apologies to John Lennon).

I feel like the Pharaoh when planning permission came through for his first pyramid. Or the Chinese emperor who planted an inaugural silver trowel of cement so his brickies could start building a Great Wall. Or Hadrian, embarking on his mighty Northumbrian monument.

By comparison, their tasks were a doddle. Mine is a daunting enterprise: inspired by the extraordinary bravery and maturity of teenage leukaemia victim Josie Grove and supported, hopefully, by all of you I want to use my "second chance" life to raise funds and save lives in brave Josie's name.

I hardly need remind you of Josie's story. Almost everyone I've spoken to knows of the 16-year-old from Corbridge whose two years of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant failed to halt the spread of her acute myeloid leukaemia. As a result, Josie has chosen to forego further treatment to spend the maximum time with family and friends and on the business of enjoying life. I applaud her bravery while praying for her survival. I, too, was diagnosed with a leukaemia which, while aggressive, was less serious than Josie's. Like her, I endured years of chemo and two transplants before the creeping killer's progress was arrested.

It hardly seems fair that an old miscreant like me gets a second chance while a beautiful, bright and talented teenager like Josie sees no distant light at the end of the tunnel.

So, in Josie's name, I want to make a difference to myself and to the prospects of those thousands of future children - for it is the very young the acute myeloid malignancy afflicts - who must confront the illness.

A recent report shows obesity, particularly in the North-East, to be as big a killer as the many forms of cancer. Since the remarkable news of my remission - fellow journalists should note that cancer cautions consultants never to use the word "cure" - I have celebrated my rebirth rather too well. As a result, I have exchanged frying pan for fire and am now scores of pounds overweight.

I intend to lose as much of that excess weight as I can and I beg that you support me, either by sponsoring my efforts or by making the same commitment to get fitter after the Christmas festivities - January 1 would be a great day to start - and getting family and friends to sponsor your efforts.

All the funds will go to the Josie Grove Leukaemia Fund and you can pledge your support by filling in and returning the form published in The Journal tomorrow.

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You can keep in touch with my progress through The Journal and also on the internet at a special blog site I've set up: http://www.myspace.com/davidbanks. It won't be easy. Already the jokesters and doomsayers are having a field day at my expense.

Young Neil from the sawmill hereabouts suggested that I start the ball rolling by standing on the weighbridge at his workplace (I might just do that) and told me: "I don't earn enough to sponsor you pound for pound, but I'll pay you by the hundredweight."

And if you think that was mean, hark at the landlord of my local, the Blue Bell, and his wife who were among the first to sign Journal sponsorship forms. Generous to a fault, my so-called pal waved away all warnings as he pledged £1 per pound towards Josie's fund.

"You'll pay £1 for every pound he loses?" gasped the woman at The Journal. "It could cost you a fortune." "Don't worry about us, pet," said Mine Host with a smirk. "We know him personally."

I might not be downing much in the way of food and drink this Christmas but my `friends' will eat their words......

I have already begun my "eat less, walk more" diet plan, but to give you sponsors a fair chance, I will not record my official starting weight until January 1, 2007. In the meantime, I am avoiding as many food ads and tempting recipes as I can.

Here's one that caught my eye outside a Little Chef restaurant recently: "Try Our Farm Reared Sausages."

Not me, mate....poor little things, I'll stick to the ones that have had a decent life running about in the open air.

Have a great holiday. Then join me on the diet on January 1.