The following comment was made on the last post by a frequent commentator from the UK:
Since I am a member of this site for some time and havent posted for quite a while I think I should update you about my condition. I have been very very ill lately and my doctors say I have pancreas cancer for which an elderly man like me has no cure in the UK and I havent long to go. I thank all those in advance who wished me a refua shlaimo in the past and for those who will wish me now. Although I have no pain these are the present symptoms. Any food or drink gets vomited and I cant hold down anything. I have a peg that goes to the bowels not the stomach and that food does not vomit out. So I only use that. I have found that drink alone like a tea will also not vomit out so I can still drink. I have lost a lot of weight and am very weak having to sleep a lot. I thank you all again for my time on here. I know that most of you read my posts although you dont agree with them and remember them. I do not expect otherwise. I dont think I have ever made enemies in my life except some rabbonim, and certainly no one on here. I have always worked for everything I have and have also learned a very lot. I spent a lot of time on my learning and worked as hard as I could on it allways. I wrote on almost every page of a sefer I used some hagohos of what I came up with at the time. I hope still to live some time before the cancer takes a real hold. But according to my doctor it cant be too long. I finish by wishing everyone here all the best.
I cannot express strongly enough my hopes and prayers for a Refuah Shelaima B’Karov - a speedy and full recovery. It is devastating to hear of such news when it happens to anyone. But when it is a member of your ‘family’ as is the case with newcomer it makes it twice as hard to take.
One of the most satisfying things about my blog is the diversity of opinions expressed here. It ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. But I believe that the vast majority of the time, the people commenting are sincere in expressing their strongly held beliefs. Which sometimes causes some very heated debates. (To say the least). I have learned a lot from these widely disparate comments. Even those that I strongly disagree with.
Newcomer is no stranger to controversy and often brings out the stiffest of opposition to his views. Views to which he is fully entitled.
I am grateful for his participation. Agree or disagree his comments surely elicited some of the most interesting and colorful responses. But at the same time it is apparent that the people that comment here frequently feel as I do. Which is that a member of the family is hurting. That he has been stricken with a serious illness. And as noted in the responses to this sad news, we all wish him a Refuah Shelamah, regardless of whether we agreed or disagreed... or how strongly.
The reaffirms my belief in the basic goodness of the Jewish people. We are indeed Rachmonim Bnei Rachmonim. People that drop any and all issues we might have with a fellow Jew and unite around the hope and prayer for a full recovery.
My hope is that newcomer will indeed return to full health and continue being a thorn in in the side of all of us.
If he chooses to share his Hebrew name and that of his mother with us, it should be added to any Tehilim list said for Refuah and to the MisheBerach L’Cholim said during Kriyas HaTorah.