A Tale of Two Celebrities

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Best-selling author Jackie Collins died yesterday (September 19) from breast cancer at the age of 77. According to news reports, she didn't tell anyone, not even her acting sister, Joan, of Jackie's terminal diagnosis until a few weeks ago. Her final battle was very private. In contrast, as I wrote last week, country singer Glen Campbell has been very public with his diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. He is now in the final stage of the disease, unable to communicate. His family issues periodic updates on Campbell's deteriorating condition. Who did the right thing? My opinon is both. We're all individuals, and we handle things completely differently from anyone else. (That's why I don't like to hear people say, "I know what you're going through," because that's a lie -- nobody knows, even if it's an identical experience! My brother and I had completely different reactions to our mom's death.) Collins opted to keep her diagnosis to herself, telling only her children until nearly the end. In contrast, Campbell wanted to use his celebrity to "put a face" on Alzheimer's disease. Farewell to Jackie Colilns.