I contacted the Tanner Foundation (http://tannersfoundation.org) regarding support to assist me to promote the book. As usual and sadly, organisations like this one, are founded on the back of tragedy. In this case, Tanner Seebaum was diagnosed with a brain tumour (Ependymoma) in 1998 and died in July 2013, one month before his 17th birthday. He was born in the same year as Jack and was just three month’s older than Jack. Stephanie Seebaum, Tanner’s mother, responded and referred me to a film that had been made about Tanner’s short life and particularly focusing on his last two years. I took three stabs at it and finally finished it after 2 days. It was both heartbreaking and uplifting and of course culminating in the unavoidable realisation for Tanner and his family that he would not survive 2013. But he gave it a pretty good shot and wanted to go out with a bang and doing what he loved best. It is a story of a beautiful young man who, like Jack, had youth, passion, life and ambition but those attributes didn’t matter an ounce against a disease that takes no prisoners. R.I.P Tanner, I didn’t meet you but wish I had and you dealt with your fate with charm, strength, passion, courage and maturity. Can’t ask for anything else other than a cure for brain cancer but we are working on that in your absence.
www.beats4tanner.com
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