Hi my name is Macca, Danny Mac, Quad Head, Square Head or just Daniel.

On 01/01/18 I will be giving up all alcohol for one year,  I’ve decided to take this challenge on as I lost
my dad to alcohol two years ago. 

Dad always drank casually, parties, weekends, socially, but
18 years ago he was diagnosed with leukaemia, the platelets he had received as part of the treatment caused a bad reaction to his eyes. He was eventually given the all clear from leukaemia but his eyes were an ongoing problem which meant he couldn’t carry on with his job, he suffered a break down and so it begun. 

Two drinks per evening soon turned to four, then six. Fosters turned to
Stella, Stella turned to Special Brew or Super Tennants. Starting at 7pm in the evening, went to 4pm in the afternoon, then to 1pm and before we knew it he was drinking for breakfast, it happened so fast and all under our noses. I remember thinking he had been through a lot, we are a very close and loving family so it will be ok, plus and stupidly this doesn’t happen to people like my dad, drunks only live on park benches , now let me tell you, THEY DEFINITELY DO NOT!!!! 

He was so loving and caring ask anyone, but slowly that was
all changing, the following years we was all just watching him turn into
someone he wasn’t! The amount of times we tried to get him to give up but he couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, he tried many times but the lure of alcohol pulled him back! He was an alchi, the one word that summed my dad up, the same as that bloke on the bench or that homeless person, but he was living at home, I was embarrassed, heartbroken what my dad had become, maybe I was selfish in a way because I moved
out and left my mum, sister and brother to take the full brunt of it.

I have always wondered why he could not give up, as it seems
such an easy thing to do for someone without the addiction, so for the next year I will see how hard it is myself to give up alcohol. I have two stag dos abroad and three weddings these will be very testing, it should be easy right as I’m not an alcoholic………you can decide that with a donation. 

I’ve recently become a father myself and I know my dad will
be looking down and agree with my charity of choice, the Emily Ash Trust. We have all been touched by cancer in one way or another but children suffering seems to cut so much deeper. The trust supports the families as well as the children, please check them out and see how your donation can help.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.