Statement by Michael Reade

In a message broadcast on the station this morning, Michael revealed that he was terminally ill.

LMFM presenter Michael Reade has announced that he is terminally ill.

In a message broadcast on the station this morning, Michael revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Michael has been hosting his show on LMFM for 21 years and has won numerous awards for his journalism. He is currently nominated in two categories at next month’s IMRO Radio Awards.

Michael’s Statement:

Regular listeners to the station probably know that I have not been to work for over a month, or about six weeks. I know some listeners would like to know why.

Well, I’m not known for being on ceremony, so I’ll get right to the point.

I’m not well. I’m even very sick.

I have cancer.

And I’m afraid I have to say that my diagnosis is terminal. In other words, it’s a disease from which I will not be able to recover.

It sounds horrible, I know, but you know, I’m coming to terms with it in a weird way. I’ve come to terms with the situation I’m in.

I have accepted what I am facing. I know what it means.

I’m not afraid.

I’m not devastated. I wish it wasn’t, but it is, and it’s not negotiable. It’s not a debate I can win. In fact, there simply is no debate.

I more or less understood this the moment I was told I was dying.

You know, I thought I could spend a lot of time being devastated and that, I’m sure, would be understandable to some extent, but I figured I just didn’t have enough time to do that.

The time I have left will be precious and do I want to use it to be sad and see it as something negative?

Then I thought to myself that I could choose to do this, but I had other choices. I could choose to be devastated or I could just as easily choose this instead of being devastated; choose, however much time life offers me, to enjoy life. Positively. Find good, enjoyable, positive things to focus on.

And there are so many positive things that my life still offers me. It is true that all my ambitions have had to change in the last few weeks and I am now quite limited in what I can do physically, I will not be able to tick things off my to-do list, so I have just reduced my to-do list, if I can put it that way.

Or did I do it? Did I even do that?

I prefer to think that my to-do list is different than it was a few weeks ago. Rather different than saying it’s been scaled back.

The situation I am in now is actually a kind of blessing, because I can now look at things that would otherwise have escaped me and I feel a lot of pleasure in very simple and basic things. A smiling face or a kind word, a ray of sunshine, breathing fresh air.

You won’t be surprised to hear how much I enjoy simply being able to listen to and observe the majestic seagulls that surround me.

But being home with the people I love and knowing that they love me is priceless. Nothing is more important to me. I am living, I am experiencing, what I believe to be a beautiful story of people, while all my family and friends rally around me. Everyone puts their sadness aside and does what I asked them to do. Which is to know that I am okay with this and that I just want to surround myself with love and positive vibes.

So, there’s no sadness around me. We’re all trying to be strong. We’re trying to be positive and help each other get through this as best we can.

I don’t know when I’ll have the chance to talk to you again, but I hope to be able to talk to you again soon.

But for now, I have to take a step back from everything else.

I will need space, personal space, personal time, time with my family and the people I love and I hope you will understand that and please give me that space.

My first show was 43 years ago. I was barely 15 years old. I am very proud to say that since then, I have more or less had my own radio program. I have spent 21 years here at LMFM and while I am more proud than I can say of my program here, it has honestly been a privilege. A privilege that you have granted me by listening to me.

Thank you so far for this privilege, with my best wishes and of course lots of love and positive vibes.

This is Michael Reade…

THANKS.

You can listen to Michael’s statement below: