Tag Archives: Michael Chetcuti

Uncategorized

It’ll be ‘alright’

2 Comments

It’s been two years since my brother Michael passed away.

Michael (Cuti) spent the last years of his life making sure everything was prepared for his death, fighting hard, giving people hope when there was none, and keeping his spirits high.

It was a struggle, but every time I visited Malta, I was taken aback at how he kept on going despite what he was going through.

In this same spirit, I will be taking on a challenge of my own – I’ll be rowing the Atlantic ocean in exactly a year to raise money for three charities: Hospice (Malta), The Swiss Cancer League, and Terre des hommes.

If he were here, everything would be completely organized, his group of amazing friends would have been roped in to do various tasks, and he would inevitably have lists of all things that have been done, are being done, and others that have to be done in an organized folder that would put the most organized body to shame. It was annoyingly organized.

For me, it’s a bit different – all the above hasn’t been done, my lists are short and incomplete, and my organization is somewhat chaotic.

I guess my brother was the one who got the brain – I obviously got the dashing looks…

OK, now that you have stopped laughing, we need to get serious.

I need your help. No, you don’t need to come and row with me. What I ask is that you visit my website – www.crossrower.ch – and start donating to the three organizations I’m collecting money for on my brother’s behalf.

If you do that, it’ll be ‘alright’.

Another thing – once you’ve done that, share the link and ask your friends and family, colleagues and neighbours, and anyone else you may know to do the same. If you do only one of these two, it’s also cool.

I can’t stress enough that charities get 100% of the money you donate, not 50% or 60% – a full 100%. You will not pay for me to go ‘on holiday’ across the Atlantic (I’m paying that myself).

Who am I rowing for?

The Hospice (Malta) are a bunch of great people who provide palliative care. They help people who have friends or relatives who suffer from cancer and other end-of-life illnesses, such as respiratory, renal, liver and cardiac, and make sure the patient is as comfortable as possible. They also help families get through what is a very difficult time. Seeing them in action was an inspiration for me to do something to help others.

The Swiss Cancer League has centres around Switzerland, my adoptive home, and they provide information, advice and moral support to cancer sufferers and their families. It’s amazing what they do, and both patients and their families benefit immensly from their service, even if it’s just a friendly voice at the other end of a phone call.

Terre des hommes is a Swiss NGO dedicated to helping and protecting children in need worldwide. I’d like to do something to help kids who need help. Specifically, the money raised will help kids in Syrian children displaced by the war and living in the neighbouring countries Lebanon and Jordan. A tiny contribution from many will help these kids have a childhood – like most of us in the west have had. Now, more than ever, is a good time to donate as in the past three months alone, more than half a million kids were displaced because of the violence in Syria.

My goal is to collect €10,000 for each – it may be ambitious, but so is rowing across an ocean. I’ll take care of the rowing – I hope that you help me take care of the donations (don’t make me get down on my knees…).

Uncategorized

Cuti may have left the building, but his legacy lives on

Leave a comment
With us every step of the way: (from left) Martina Chetcuti, Hospice PR Manager James Davis, Michelle Chetcuti, and Marianne Chetcuti

My brother Michael must have made quite an impression during his 51 years on earth. An understatement maybe, but I am biased.

When Marianne, his widow, myself and others set out to remember the first anniversary of his passing, we all agreed that this was something we wanted to celebrate. We didn’t want to huddle in a corner and cry. God knows I’ve done enough of that.

His anniversary, 24 February, coincided with the Malta Marathon, so it seemed like an obvious plan to gather family and friends to run (and support) together in his honour. We created t-shirts, designed by Michael’s daughter Michelle, and printed them. I thought we had too many, which was fine as I run a lot and could do with some spares. I also hoped we’d manage to collect a few hundred euros for the Hospice, the agency which so helped Cuti (and us) when he was in the final months and days of his life. I guessed the large amount of people at the marathon would remember my brother and we could get them to help the Hospice.

Then, the marathon was cancelled.

Turns out, it didn’t really matter.

For starters, the t-shirts were all gone. All of them. I had to fight to get one for a friend (who didn’t know Michael and still donated €50). I was taken aback – that was quite a sum from a person who didn’t even know my brother.

“I saw your post and wanted to offer my support,” he told me. I walked back home a little bit shell-shocked and a bit amazed at how my brother had managed to have such an effect on people. Because it is not about us posting stuff on social media, but rather what Michael did when he was alive.

It also turns out that my hope to collect ‘a few hundred euros’ was also incorrect, by a hell of a lot. At the end, we collected a staggering €2,500. Seriously amazing. Money came from family, friends, mothers of his daughters’ friends, Michael’s former work mates, people who he didn’t even know, acquaintances, and so many more.

Michael’s family, Marianne and their daughters Martina and Michelle, handed the money over to Hospice a week or so later (see picture of them handing the money to the Hospice PR manager James Davies).

By the way, in the end, I ran the marathon – admittedly, it was on the wrong day and in the wrong country. It’s my small gesture of gratitude to all of you who helped.

Nearly five hours later, I completed the required 42.195km in Switzerland a week after the 24 February. Only then did I wear the medal (with pride)

The Hospice Malta

Our charity of choice was the Hospice. They helped Michael in his last months, and gave our family superb support.

I really didn’t know what they did, and had no idea what palliative care was (I had to googled it when my sister-in-law mentioned it to me).

The money we collected will help some other family who are inevitable going through what we went through a year or so ago. I can imagine many of you went through the same experience – it’s not nice, and organisations like Hospice are simply amazing.

The incredible amount collected is, I believe, the result of the life Michael lived, one in which he touched so many people in so many ways. It is by your actions that you have made him live even stronger in our hearts and for that, and on his behalf, we humbly say ‘thank you’.

Cuti may have left the building, but his legacy lives on.

The Hospice always needs help. Visit their website – https://hospicemalta.org/ – and help out if you can. If you don’t live in Malta, donate to the Hospice or similar organization in your country. A small gesture can go very far.