Dale Gordon Fergusson 8 August 1986 to 23 February 2007

You may all have noticed that this year I haven't put the usual ad in the "In Memorium" section of the Courier Mail.  I have put in the smaller ad, but truth is, I am so sick of it being stuffed up every year that I am not prepared to have to deal with the stress of it over and over again.  I myself don't deal with this time of year particularly well and I am sure that the poor people working at the Courier Mail don't like getting my phone calls every year on either Dale's Anniversary or Birthday.  

Anyway, here we are, 2 years having passed and I'm sure that there are so many of us that love and miss Dale just as much today as we have for every day of those 2 years.  I was having a look through some of Dale's files that are still on my computer that I have to burn to disc and found this picture.  I haven't seen this one before and had a good giggle when I found it - it was titled Zoolander.  (Oh and yes girls I have already removed most of THOSE photos, but keep finding more of them!!).  So I have found some poems Dale wrote, and some journal things he had put to paper and thought it would be good to have them on here for others to read and know how he was feeling and dealing with things back then.  So we'll all be raising a glass or two to him over the next few days. Susan


I think Dale would like some focus placed on making people aware that Colorectal Cancer is not just an old person’s disease.  When you are 17 years old, you don’t expect to get Bowel Cancer.  Dale used to say he would love to go visit high schools and tell the kids that they need to be aware of their family medical history and if they have any symptoms then to Tell Someone and Don't Be Embarrassed!!!  He never got to do it.

Bowel Cancer screening in Australia is great if you are an older person.  Most people don’t think to get their kids checked if there is a family history of it.  But PLEASE – this is a serious disease.  I would hate for other people to be without their children because they didn’t realise that it could happen.  And that’s what it comes down to.  You Just Don't Realise That It Can Happen.

While the test is not at all painful to children (unless you are like Mitchell who has an aversion to vegetables and Red Meat is a no-no during the testing period) – it is recommended that if you have a family history of Bowel Cancer that children be tested from around 12 years of age.

The important thing is – Ask Your Doctor.

As a parent, I would rather see my child go through 6 days of fasting from certain foods once a year, than not having my child tested at all and facing having to be without them – like we are without Dale.

Australian Bowel Cancer Website

Last Updated 22 February 2009