Filed under: All Cancers , Environment , Diets , Stress Reduction , Exercise , Obesity , Nutrition , Smoking , Sunday Seven

Filed under: All Cancers , Daily news , Celebrity news , Movies Jack Nicholson has been serving up a steady stream of cheer for cancer patients at the Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles hospital. The Hollywood icon and Oscar winner has been visiting terminal patients and cheering them up with jokes, card games, and behind-the-scenes stories about his career. Nicholson's next career move comes in the form of a movie called The Bucket List. He plays a dying man in the film and began spending time at the hospital to research his role. But once his film finished, Nicholson kept visiting. He was that touched and moved by the patients. Hospital staff say the actor's visits do wonders for the patient spirits. The only down side is for Nicholson who finds it hard to leave, knowing he may have seen some of his new friends for the last time. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Celebrity in memoriam When the First Lady of Surfing, Rell Sunn was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32, she was told she had months to live. She lived each day as if it were her last -- with complete passion and compassion -- and lived another 15 years. When I posted that each year during the Luau & Longboard Invitational event to raise money for the Moores UC San Diego Cancer Center, the Rell Sunn-Queen of Makaha Award in memory of Rell Sunn is given to honor the person or organization that best displays the qualities of compassion, unselfishness, aloha spirit and dedication in the fight against cancer -- I went in search to learn more about Rell Sunn. On the tribute page is a description of a woman of phenomenal inspiration in the person she was and the life she lived. Much beloved by all who knew her, Rell is described as an unselfish and humble woman who gave freely of herself to all who met her. Her professional and personal accomplishments make her a legend in the surfing world. She conquered all water sports -- surfing, bodysurfing, spearfishing, and open-water outrigger canoeing -- and is credited with establishing the Women's Professional Surfing Association and founding the women's pro surfing tour. Rell was a role model, swimwear model, radio personality, motivational speaker, hula instructor, and volunteered for numerous groups -- including support of children's surfing and her annual Menehune Surf Contest -- held exclusively for children at Makaha beach. It is said, that Rell Sunn often explained of her life philosophy, "The aloha spirit is real simple. You give and you give and you give . . . and you give from here (the heart), until you have nothing else to give." As part of the tribute, it states Rell Sunn was a quintessential water-woman. I think she was a quintessential human being, and though I never got a chance to meet her in person, I feel a better person for knowing about her. There are some who inspire long after they have left this world because they lived the best of who we have the capacity to be in this world. In 1998, Rell Kapolioka'ehukai Sunn passed away at the age of 47. To learn more about Rell Sunn, visit the Queen of Makaha, Heart of the Sea official Rell Sunn website. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments