Saturday, May 2, 2015

Sad day...

Sorry, I had no time for the PE45FREE activation today. Today was a very sad day as my neighbourstation PD0FF Foppe has no radiostation anymore. He called me several weeks ago that he had to end all his hobbies. Foppe was not only a radio amateur, other hobbies were his band "The Backyard Bluesband" he was the drummer for many years and besides that he was referee for the dutch football association KNVB. That is only a few things he has done of course.

I remember he helped me many years ago to get a good antennamast and of course I did help him too when he need something to work out for the radio hobby. Anyway, Foppe has been diagnosed with ALS a muscle disease that cannot be cured. He can hardly breathe and speak right now and so talking on the radio is not possible anymore. He asked me to remove his antennamast with all antennas and cables so his family will not need to do this later on. I have been busy with it today and removed everything. Some work on the mast has been done with unexpected help of another just visiting radioamateur PA7JC Jacob. I will sell most of Foppe's antenna and radio equipment in the next weeks after I test it to see everything works like it should.
The antennamast will be demolished.  It's a sad day when you come to the point when you know it is the end. Sometimes that day can be earlier then you think. But life goes on and we don't have to think about that too much...I hope I helped Foppe with this and wish him and his family strength to cope with all this.



7 comments:

Paul Stam PAØK said...

Hallo Bas, wat een verschrikkelijk nieuws. Ja, daar heb ik even niets op te zeggen. ALS is een ernstige ziekte. Ik wens van hieruit Foppe veel sterkte en zijn familie ook. 73 Paul

PC1I said...

Zware dag kan ik mij zo voorstellen... Aan een kant wel mooi dat je hier mee kunt helpen, aan de andere kant zo krom als het maar kan zijn... Iedereen veel sterkte!

Dick said...

A terrible disease. Often called Lou Gehrig disease (famous baseball player of the 1930's) in the USA. My brother's sister-in-law died of it. She was not even 40 years old. All these years and still no cure.

Tjeerd, PA3GNZ said...

Wat een dramatisch verhaal. Verschrikkelijke aandoening.

Photon said...

Shame about the ALS; that's the conditions Stephen Hawking has, I seem to recall.

Yes, whilst we think it all goes on forever, we all have to bring our antennas down in the end. Until then, though, enjoy every day - and build more antennas!


PE4BAS, Bas said...

Sorry I will not answer every comment like I always try do do. Foppe is having a hard time and it is terrible to see him like this. I spoke this guy for the first time already 30 years ago. So you can imagine. I really don't like to sell his equipment. But he can't keep it and it is better to find a new home for it so someone else can continue the radio hobby. 73, Bas

Hans said...

Hallo Bas, wat een vreselijk nieuws en erg voor Foppe maar ook voor jou om dit mee te moeten maken. ALS is een vreselijke ziekte. Ik wens Foppe en zijn naasten heel veel sterkte in deze moeilijke strijd, maar ook jou wens ik heel erg veel sterkte want dit gaat jou ook niet in de koude kleren zitten. Sterkte Bas.
73 Hans, PE1BVQ