Famous Soap Star & Emphysema

[larrynz]

Use the link for the full story, I have only picked out a few bits. Vera is a Coronation Street character, a soap that beams into millions of homes and has for almost 50 years.
This kind of awareness could not be bought. Her story of COPD is like mine and all of us who suffer this disease.

www.thesun.co.uk:80/article/0,,2001320029-2007360131,00.html

The stricken actress, quitting after more than three decades as Coronation Street favourite Vera Duckworth, was diagnosed with deadly emphysema five years ago.

Liz, who smoked 30 cigarettes a day for 55 years before finally kicking the habit, says she was left barely able to WALK across the set, relying on TV hubby Bill Tarmey to perform “action” scenes for her.
“I didn’t really know much about it then and only gave up smoking for a year.
“I wish the dangers had been pointed out to me more clearly.”
She recalled: “I used to polish my brother’s shoes in exchange for a cig. Had someone told me they could kill, I’d have been terrified. But it was a glamorous thing to do in those days and all the adverts encouraged you.
“I couldn’t do a thing without a cig. The phone would go and I’d have to light up before I began talking. I couldn’t even set off on a car journey without one in my hand.”
“He told me I only had a third of my lungs left working

[the bear]

There is nothing glamourous about a corpse. A sad story but all too true. We have lost a lot of our former heroes to cigarettes. John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin to just name three. b

[Blossom/Jackie W.]

Larry; I want to thank you for finding and sharing that piece. Here in the Maritimes many people are "addicted" to Coronation Street including a column writer for THE paper here who I tried to get to do a write up 2 years ago about COPD etc.

I plan on using that piece with another letter and follow up phone call.

Thanks You

[cocojax]

I have been a loyal Corrie watcher for years, and did not realize that she had Copd, what a shame...

[LindaNY]

As far as I know we don't get that program here.

It is such a sad thing when one of our media idols ends up with a dreadful disease.