Just days ago, Lee Ash was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Leukaemia. This was totally out of the blue. Needless to say his family, particularly his wife Carolyn, are being completely amazing; strong, loving, positive. However, the reality of this shocking diagnosis means at least a month in hospital, receiving 24 hour intensive chemotherapy.

The purpose of this page is to bring to all of your attention how it is if you, like me, and like Lee and Carolyn, are SELF-EMPLOYED and suddenly hit a health crisis. There ain't no safety net! If you, like me, have not put a plan in place then you too would be left, like them with no means of income for the foreseeable future. You and I, we have time to prepare ourselves...having now been reminded in the cruellest possible way by the plight of this loving, creative family. But for them, they have been plunged into the situation with no run up whatsoever.

If you can 'take them out for a meal' or 'fill up the tank' or donate WHATEVER YOU CAN AFFORD to support them until Lee has recovered enough to start work again, that would be one less stress for them. And when you do, thank your lucky stars that this terrifying situation is not happening to you but it has given you a little reality check so you can get your house in order.

Please note, I've been close friends of this family for 16 years and they have donated so much time and effort to other people in their community. They are talented in a myriad of ways-both of them-and have brought their wonderful children up in a loving and highly creative environment. They deserve our help. Carolyn has approved this idea but cannot be involved in the managing of it at this time, for obvious reasons. She would never have asked for help herself, so I am doing it for her. Thank you all.