WITH a shamrock from his father’s homeland pinned to his chest and a wristband saying “Doc’s Army”, the son of rock legend Doc Neeson is setting out to honour his dad. The son of the late, great Angels’ frontman will walk with thousands of others touched by Australia’s leading cause of death in the NSW Cancer Council’s Seven Bridges Walk next month. It is a march not only of loss, but hope for a cure. Kieran Neeson described his dad’s diagnosis with a terminal brain tumour two years ago as “dark and frightening” for himself and his two brothers. “You always think your parents are going to live forever,” he said. Despite the horrifying news coming on his 65th birthday, Doc Neeson confronted the doctors’ prognosis of an 18-month life expectancy with the same bravado and lust for life he expressed on stage. “Dad’s initial reaction to the news was that he was going to beat the cancer,” Kieran said. Even though the odds were heavily stacked against him, the Neeson family felt there was still a chance that the widely loved rocker could come out of this in good health. “That was enough for Dad to start the fight of his life and not give up until the very end,” Kieran said. Doc Neeson’s final words to his son by his hospital bedside were ones of pride and reassurance. “I love you, son,” he said. “That was our own little goodbye to each other,” Kieran said. “I never saw him conscious after that and he died three days later,” he recalled. The proud son will be thinking of the “generous and loving” Dad who “lived for his music and fans” on the 27km walk around seven of Sydney’s bridges on October 26. So far Kieran is the second-highest individual fundraiser for the popular annual event, collecting more than $3200. “I believe raising funds will bring us one step closer to finding a cure for illnesses such as the one that took my Dad,” he said. Up to 15,000 people are expected to take part in the walk, the ninth time the event has been held. The route takes in the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Pyrmont Bridge, Anzac Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge, Gladesville Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge and Fig Tree Bridge. m.dailytelegraph.au/news/nsw/kieran-neeson-son-of-angels-frontman-doc-to-honour-his-dad-and-march-for-cancer-cure/story-fni0cx12-1227072157126?nk=f831623c4ede6bc3574987dd75491f43
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 07:56:02 +0000