Vining’s celebration of life and rugby
A family man and a rugby-loving Kiwi hero.
Family and friends at cancer advocate Blair Vining’s celebration of life have paid tribute to an ‘‘all-round good bugger’’.
Hundreds gathered at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill yesterday to celebrate Vining who died last Friday.
A mixture of family, friends, and people who were part of his fight for better cancer care, spoke at his celebration, including Vining’s doctor, Chris Jackson.
But the last word went to Vining himself, in a pre-recorded message. He paid tribute to his daughters and wife Melissa, his rock, saying it was hard to let go.
‘‘Being your husband is the most luckiest thing in the world that could ever happen to me.’’
Vining’s family stressed the event was a celebration of what he had crammed into his 39 years, rather than a funeral.
As per Vining’s wishes, those in attendance were decked out in rugby jerseys, honouring his passion for the sport.
Vining chose subjects for each tribute and Melissa was instructed to speak about how lucky she was to be married to him, which drew a laugh from mourners. ‘‘He thought that was funny. He thought that I would struggle to speak about that ... I am the luckiest girl to have been loved by Blair.’’
When Vining first spoke publicly about his battle with the health system at a conference in January, while hooked up to chemotherapy, ‘‘his warmth, his courage and selflessness shone through’’, Cancer Society medical director Dr Chris Jackson said.
Vining ‘‘shared himself with the country, and the country fell in love with him’’.
The nationwide changes made as a result of Vining’s efforts ‘‘will affect the lives of thousands of New Zealanders for decades to come’’, Jackson says.
Vining’s devastating diagnosis came in October last year – he had terminal bowel cancer.
The father of two was given six to eight weeks to live without any treatment, the catch though was that he was advised it would take eight weeks to get his first oncologist appointment.
It sent Melissa on a mission as she scoured the private sector in a desperate attempt to speed up the process and extend her husband’s life.
Vining was able to see Jackson in Dunedin and get the treatment process started within three weeks.
Vining’s fight for better cancer care for all New Zealanders, no matter where they lived, culminated with the Government setting up a Cancer Control Agency with a national director.