I wrote just a month or so ago about London motorcycle rider, Rick Bigg, and his sudden diagnosis with terminal cancer. Rick died on Saturday and the fundraiser for his widow, Laurie, goes on as planned this weekend. (My original post on Rick and Laurie appears HERE.) Rick had hoped to take one more ride, but it seems he never got his wish.
Laurie was able to take time to spend with Rick and now she’s buried in debt. They had already blown through whatever money they had when Laurie had her recent kidney transplant. So the funds are still sorely needed.
The media world is small so when I saw the wonderful article about Rick written by Scott Taylor of London’s Metro newspaper, I got his permission to repost it here.
Londoner Rick “Smiley” Bigg touched everyone with smile, humour
Smiley” has reached the end of his long road.
Rick Bigg, a London man who friends and family said always had a smile and a kind word for everyone, died Saturday with his wife, Laurie, at his side. He was 57.
Bigg, a motorcycle enthusiast, had recently been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and his health had become progressively worse over a short period of time, his wife said.
Friends and family had been spreading his story over the past month through an online fundraising campaign meant to help the couple.
Along with cancer, Bigg had also been battling the effects of Parkinson’s disease for the past eight years. Laurie, meanwhile, has been recovering from a kidney transplant, while working and caring for her husband.
The stress and heartache have taken a toll on Laurie, but she prefers to focus on the positive.
“I can’t even imagine my life now without him,” she said. “But I have absolutely no regrets because we did at least have the last couple of weeks to be together.
“No matter what was happening in our lives — and we had some ups and downs — he always found a way to make it light and laugh about it.”
A fundraiser to help Laurie and her kids is planned for 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Eastside Bar and Grill (750 Hamilton Rd.).
So sad, Lisa. Thank you for sharing his story with us earlier so we could help out financially, and this final chapter. Our hearts are with Laurie as she journeys on with out Rick. I hope the fundraiser helps in some small way to remind her of just how many people are beside her.
I’m sure it will, Erin, and I’m sure it’s amazing to her that people like you, who she’s never even met, were moved enough to help. They were just an ordinary, happy couple that life threw a bunch of rotten crap at. And they deserve a little helping hand.