Years ago when I was a schoolteacher I told a story in assembly which I never really thought would be relevant to me or any member of my family. The story originated in SE Asia, I won’t bore you with the details but the message was , that there is always someone out there who is worse off than you.Having watched Russ progress from a near fatal situation to where he is now the story keeps running through my mind.Today, Russell’s birthday, is a time of joy and to look forward to all that we know he will achieve in the future. The last thing he said to his Mum when we left him on Thursday was ” I’m going to beat this , Mum.” We never had any doubt that he would ‘beat it’. His remarkable strength, his indomitable spirit and willpower will bring him through this with all guns blazing. He also has the most wonderful friends  and family who are willing him every hour of the day to get better– how can he possibly not succeed?
Oh yes, back to the punch line of the story:
‘ I cried because I had no shoes and then I met a man who had no feet.’
All the time I keep thinking how much worse it could have been but we all know from his recent additions to the blog that our wonderful boy is still very much with us and will be thrilling us for a long time to come.
Love to you all, Bob–Russell’s very proud dad

I’m almost tearful at the overwhelming amount of blogging, emails, texts and cards that I’ve had by 8.30 am.
Shouldn’t you all be asleep!

The outpouring of love is almost matched by the outpouring of crap that I’m managing to cough up myself  today.
Nice, right? You didn’t really need to picture that…. But for ME, it’s a big deal believe me! 🙂

All of your messages are funny/imaginative/ thoughtful and I pictured in my head everyone writing them.
Never in my most optimistic dreams would I have thought that so many people would give me their valueable time ( especially since most of you are probably hungover )

Today has started well and is going to get even better.

Life is good.

Russ
Xx

A few messages in no particular order;

Chrissie and Bret

To Russikins! Happy Birthday Dude! You gonna ask for Sambuca in the drip for this special day? See you soon Gorgeous boy. Love Chrissie Wissie and the Bretmeister, Tia Lily and Jasmine (and your fave fluffy ankle biter, Bertie!) xxxxxxx

Charlie Perkins

Russ – Happy Birthday matey from the Middle Kingdom! We’ll toast you with a glass of baijiu and some chicken feet! Keep on mending! Love Charlie and Sarah X (from Sarah!)

Russell Bowyer

Thanks Melissa. 
Please can you give Russ a big birthday hug (and best wishes from me....). 
Best
(Another) Russell

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU , HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR RUSS    la la la la la la

With loads of love,

Sian xx

Russy boy,
Happy birthday fella, it's taken you nearly five decades but you've got people serving you grapes on a platter 24hrs a day. In fact bet you've even got them doing it nude or at least in suspenders for your special day.
Was thinking about you more than usual today here in Canada as we're staying by a lake (pretending to be a wilderness family but it's overpriced etc) and went for a canoe. Amazingly for Canada I was the only gay sorry kayaker in the village which clearly wouldn't have been the case if you'd been here.  Well I wouldn't have been the only kayaker anyway!
Give the girls a hug D, L & A not the nurses you dirty old man!
Laters buddy,
James x 

AUNTY WENDY AND JOHN

Your best presant in the world....having your gorgeous girls and your wonderful Dani with you, which makes your birthday dear Russ very special.
 
Looking forward to being with you on the 27 / 28th of this month.
 
Love you loads Aunty Wendy and John
x x x x x

Tim Birt and Osbourne Clarke

Dear Melissa, On behalf of everyone at OC , and especially all of Dan’s partners, friends and pals please give Russ a huge cheer on his birthday from us all. We have been amazed by him , his family and his astonishing friends and hope that he is able to celebrate with you on the day. Whoever would have thought opticians could be so incredibly cool and gutsy!
Tim

ROB COLLIVER

Hahahahave a great day, you old git”

PENNY PRITCHARD

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUSS!! We hope you have a truly happy day with your wonderful family……..and a few vodka jellies maybe?!

We have been following your amazing progress through the blog and think about you all each day. We hope that your shared ‘sofa’ moment comes round very soon.

With very best wishes from Penny, Phil, Summer & Olive Pritchard xxxx

(Olive did make you a card but I didn’t get it in the post in time :0( – sorry! )

TELE AND NICOLA

Hi Russ
Wishing you a Happy Birthday !!!
Thinking of you as always
All our love
Tele and Nicola Kyriacou

Sarah Hubner-Clark

I think women make the world go round.
Since my accident I’ve largely been looked after by the ‘fairer sex’ and wow, they’ve been just fantastic.
So boys, please give it up for the ladies.

34 tomorrow. Birthday in a hospital bed? It’s a first.
Getting my appetite back suddenly so cake on the agenda.

And guess what! X ray at 8, then tracheotomy out!
Speaking, eating, swallowing, coughing all back in one go.
How cool is that!?

I feel progress is much more tangible suddenly.

X

Comment from Lissie;
Bloody fab news Russ..A great start to your birthday!  Lots of love xxxx

My mum, Jenni has just sent the below to the staff at the ITU ward in Toulon:

Today is our very first day at home. We live in the country,I can hear an owl outside very close to our house. It seemed very strange to be occupied with ordinary domesticity rather than travelling on the tube  to visit Russ at some point during the day. Looking back over the last week is quite extraordinary. When we arrived Russ looked so thin, so tired, so despondent, so sad. He was not eating or sleeping very well and it showed in his face and general demeanor .During the week he made a massive effort to eat . He saw fewer visitors which allowed him to sleep during the day. What a difference this made . Russ's face lightened, he smiled more frequently and his appearance quickly became less gaunt. I took the photo yesterday when Russ was eating his lunch. The tracheotomy is still in place so that eating is not easy, its time consuming and difficult, you are really trying so hard.  Well done Russ. You are recovering , on ward and upward.
See you soon.
Love from Mum and Dad 

My beautiful family are back tomorrow, so I can’t wait to spend ALL Saturday and Sunday just with them 🙂
If anybody out there was planning to come see me, then I wonder could you reschedule to another time?
It’s my birthday on Sunday, yep 34. I feel old too…
Today I had the world’s longest blimmin MRI scan…. About 90 minutes in a very small noisy tunnel, sweating like a sweaty thing. Was literally running off me.
Hopefully they’ll find out a fair bit about the state of my spine, well that was the idea anyway.
Watched Mo win the 5,000   Wow, what a run. He spent his childhood in Feltham, where we have a practice. We’ve just spent about 40k doing the place up. He costs 2k to come and officially ‘re-open’ the place. Worth it, or not?

Lets vote on it.

Russ

Hello lovely Peeps

As most of you probably know Dani, Amber and Lily have been in Portugal for a week. Russ has missed them immensely.  They are coming home tomorrow and their first stop will be London Bridge Hospital to see Daddy.

Russ is really hoping for some quality time alone with his brood so if you are planning to visit over the weekend, please can you reschedule for next week or next weekend so the clan can have a good regroup?

Thanks as ever for your understanding.

XXX

From the beautiful Pia;

Morning Russ-Boy,

I have just read your blog but decided I can’t write the following knowing that you have by now no doubt had over 50,000 hits?!
There was an evening in Toulon (I think it was the Wednesday evening after your accident), there were quite a few of your family & friends there: Dani, Alwyn, Stuart, Jenni, Dan, Lisa and Karena (your Mum and Dad were also there but at their hotel miles away!) and by all accounts the news looked a lot more promising than it had that first weekend. The evening ended up being a late one with non-stop Russel stories being told. It was quite unbelievable how many totally unique and bloody hilarious stories that were being told. It was very surreal knowing that you were up the road fighting for your life and obviously highly emotional for Dani. The one thing that struck us all though was the amount of friends, family and love that people have for you. So remember that when you are reflecting on the person you are! – you are very special and unique Russ-Boy.

See you this afternoon.

Love you lots xxx

Dear Family and Friends,

Most of you know our friend Beth went in for a surgical procedure for an Arse Lift at the Tesco Medical Center . She didn’t have the most pleasant experience. She should’ve left well enough alone.

We wanted to show you how it turned out. We hope this keeps YOU from having this done.

Please, PLEASE, PLEASE . . . Don’t get an Arse Lift at the Tesco Medical Center . You will most certainly regret it!