[Danny Boy Memorial Fund] In Loving Memory of Danny Boy

@valeri I totally understand what you are saying and feeling. I think I addressed this in a post a bit back.

You asked a very important and unanswered question (since my 2002 tinnitus):

"What have people with influence done to help?"

Matteo de Nora would be my only answer to date and I didn't know about him until recently! His influence was almost 20 million donated to start TRI and better research grants.

No one famous has ever stayed the course regarding tinnitus awareness. Shatner...just an honorary board member of the ATA and did a little PA back in the day. Once in a while I think he mentions tinnitus. I doubt he donated big money for the cause though.

It is very frustrating to do this fundraising in Danny's memory for the BTA. I guess if we can somehow make the effort bigger in monetary terms WE will have some type of influence towards tinnitus.

I think that is our only hope right now. Like in life never depend on anyone else for your well-being.

"What sort of a person does that make me in your eyes?"

For me your questions and input are important. And so are you. I hope you don't ever leave TT.
You are being honest with your feelings and questions which are in many people's minds.

Always. I think this attempt is going to say a lot about members here and their friends/family who donated so far.
This is our influence.

 

Well said @DebInAustralia, absolutely spot on.
RIP Danny.

 

These are his blue caring eyes I like to remember.

Rest in peace Danny Boy. ❤️

 

Donated.

So sorry it ended this way for you Danny and your family.

Hopefully your fund will go some way towards a better outcome for another sufferer.

 

He looks sad in that picture too.

Depression probably killed him.

 

Hey everyone.

Extremely long time lurker and first time poster.

I just wanted to give my condolences to everyone who knew Danny both in person and through contact on this amazing site. I have read many of Danny's posts and he came across as a very loving very intelligent person (some of his info blew my mind with the detail he supplied) who would also help out any fellow sufferer in need.

Whatever the circumstances of his death it is just so so very sad especially having a young daughter.

I just wanted to pat 'Ed209' on the back and the rest of the staff on this site who have put in motion this tinnitus fundraising initiative on behalf of Danny.

I personally would like to see some of the money (I have donated) going to tinnitus awareness. I'd heard of Tinnitus growing up and even watched 'It's All Gone Pete Tong' (2004) which scared me silly until complacency set in months/years later. Those of you who haven't seen the film he is a DJ in Ibiza who gets tinnitus and loses his hearing. The film touches on tinnitus but doesn't really show the constant torture as when he becomes deaf his tinnitus disappears.

Not saying this would be possible with the funds raised but I would really love to see a prime time TV story about tinnitus on say Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale etc etc (I'm from the UK) as they have done numerous times on other health and mental health issues. This would allow viewers to really follow a character's journey through the stages of Tinnitus.

Does this even cost money?? Is it not just knowing a script writer who could pitch the story to the producers.

I saw a few months ago that a BBC researcher was asking a Facebook tinnitus group members for tinnitus stories for a possible 'One Show' segment on the BBC, not sure what happened with that - i may have missed it if it was ever done.

I do actually know someone who works at the TV programme Eastenders. Unfortunately they aren't a script writer as they work in costumes / design. But I'm gonna ask what it takes to get a script idea to the producer. I'm prepared to take one for the Tinnitus Team if it means sleeping with them, hopefully they are female. (JOKES!! - to you sensitive members)

It's that or I apply to be on 'First Dates' - The Restaurant TV dating programme. They often touch on people's health issues on the programme.

Sorry for going off on a tangent - i know this thread is about Danny.

But I also know good quality high profile public awareness - creates public talk - creates public interest - creates public funding - creates research - creates moving towards finding the cure we all want.

Anyways that's my two pennies worth.

Will give you my tinnitus story hopefully soon.

 

The Shatner/Letterman tv piece really pissed me off.
They treated this hateful thing as a joke.
They had a golden opportunity to say something significant, and blew it as far as I am concerned, which inturn accords us suferrers no respect.

(Incidentally, I always considered Letterman one dozy-arsed prat - but then of course, he speaks very highly of me !!)

 

An absolutely brilliant post @sunnyd .
You have managed to hit the nail on the head.
Everybody (except me and a handful of others) watches soaps.
A really tragic/realistic tinnitus story in a soap episode, would reach out to people in a way that no documentary would.

(We all know that every tinnitus story is in fact a tragedy for the sufferer!)

They wouldn’t even bother to switch on a documentary until they’d watched a soap first, which could spark a real interest.
Maybe then, they would.
(I even got excited about the ‘sleeping with’ option, until I realised you’re a fella!)

A very clued up post sunny, with a dash of humour thrown in for good measure.
Impressed.
Hope you write some more.

(@Ed209 - have you had a chance to read @sunnyd's maiden post? What an idea he has!)

 

Footage of Danny I found on Twitter, tweeted by one of his friends.

 

Members needing support over Danny Boy:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/emotional-over-danny-boy-—-support-for-members.30328/

 

RIP Danny Boy. My condolences to the family.

Guys didn’t Ronald Reagan have tinnitus? Did he try to help?

 

I just can't believe it. I didn't talk much to him but we did have some interactions on various threads. May he rest in peace.

 

It’s a great idea, but we would need to convince a studio/TV executive to have this story line written into one of their shows. It’s incredibly unlikely but worth trying, I suppose; especially if anyone knows an executive producer or writer of a show. I feel without a persuasive connection, or power to influence, the chance of success is minute.

 

I write scripts.

For that matter anyone can learn to write them and submit them.

Excellent idea. I've been toying with vlogging on and off for many years but this idea is actually better for bringing in an audience and thus, education/interest/money/research.

Btw The Corrie is awesome but haven't watched in ages. I like Eastenders but again no cable so haven't seen in awhile... and currently Call the Midwife... Broadchurch and Happy Valley are favs of mine.

Anyways maybe we get a good enough script you will not have to sleep with anyone. I think that'd be a terrible idea given the current climate within the industry.

 

Thanks @Jazzer, that's very kind.

Ha ha yes I'm a 47 year old man, sorry about that!!!!

Love reading your witty posts too.

 

“Wow - a man of some taste!”

........er......are you relatively good looking....?

(I jest - of course!)

 

That’s awesome, Alex. You’re hired! In fact, I also know a script writer but she’s seriously ill at the moment. My uncle also used to work on TV and write scripts, but he’s a bit of a nutter and I wouldn’t trust him with this at all.

 

‘Wow - Ed I’ve long had this opinion that you can make anything happen!
Seriously! Don’t you let me down now........xx

 

I’ll head down to ITV studios and refuse to leave until they agree to implement Alex’s script.

 

“Now you’re talkin’ Ed......!”

 

It may sound funny but really, I do write them. Currently working on a vamp satire film. Anyways, like I said, you can download apps and if you are a good enough writer- and let's face it, soap operas aren't english lit, anyone can do it! I just thought the idea was so great and I related. Kind of missing the joke though... :/

Take care all! Good luck!

 

@Ed209, I just had a quick google on the inter-web and found some information as a rough basic start. I will do some more research tomorrow as it's very late here.

List of TV Programmes = TV Production Companies / Producers' Names

Doctors - BBC - Doctors writer Andrew Cornish talks about writing for Mental Health Awareness Week, from what sparked the idea, and how together he, Series Producer Peter Lloyd and Script Editor Nasreen Ahmed

Casualty - BBC One

Holby City - BBC One

BBC Studios' Head of Continuing Drama, Oliver Kent, has appointed Simon Harper as Executive Producer for BBC One's Casualty and Holby City.

Eastenders - BBC (Elstree Centre)

Coronation Street - ITV Producers Iain MacLeod and Kate Oates

Hollyoaks - Channel 4 (Lime Pictures)

Emmerdale - ITV Yorkshire (Leeds Studio)​

etc etc... will think of other possible TV channel dramas it could work with.

And obviously this is just in the UK - let alone worldwide.

The same script could be sent to all producers addressed by name / TV production companies around the world, hopefully someone would take it up.

Would the BTA have any influence with TV producers, would something on their letterhead help open doors any easier??

Another selling point I thought was that a lot of TV Shows repeat the same issues... Cancer, Drink, Drugs, Gambling, Marital Affairs etc etc not taking anything away from those issues / problems but selling a 'tinnitus story' as something NEW and unseen to the TV world might get a young hungry TV executive who wants to win a possible "best story line drama award" the impetus to try something new, a story not shown in detail on TV screens.


Just my thoughts.

 

@Alex99 - how does the process work?

Do you send a brief one page synopsis out first as a teaser to the producers to see if they are interested or would you send them the full script?? I'm guessing the script can be as long or as short as we decide as their in-house script writers would amend it to fit in with / suit their programme needs.

Alex if this is something you'd be interested in - (we really need your expertise!!!!) I'm very happy to arrange for printing / and posting copies to the list of producers, script writers, TV studio heads etc etc that I am drawing up.

Even if they don't take up the script it at least educates these influential people and plants a seed regarding tinnitus. Although I'm not expecting our hand to be bitten off, who knows - they may be desperate for a fresh script idea in 6-12 months time and our seed has already been planted.

We have nothing to lose - let's do this for Danny!!!!!

 

@sunnyd - I believe you are truly unto something that could really bear fruit with this idea.
We all need to raise awareness of this “Effing Shit’ we are all forced to suffer with, and you may have the germ of a real game changer.
‘A young, hungry, TV executive’...etc....
your thinking is spot on buddy.

 

Same happened when Pete Townsend went on. I think it's part of this don't winge culture we live in. Nobody wants to hear you winge, someone else is worse off than you, we all have problems to deal with blah blah blah.

One thing this condition has taught me its that you can't jump to conclusions about why people are like they are and do the things they do. We don't know what is going on with other people's lives, so just stay humble and treat people with respect.

My thoughts go out to Danny's family.

 

@Ed209 the fund is growing. Over 3k. This is great so far.

A scripted show. Morbid sells now. I wonder if it would cause a rift with tinnitus organizations?

You could ask Markku for my story - Dave's story - and there are many more documented cases I helped get media attention for. But, they were only important for about a day.

 

I agree, raising awareness for tinnitus is monumentally difficult, but I won’t discourage anyone from attempting anything if they see an opportunity.

I’m so appreciative towards everyone who has donated or shared this campaign. However, I still can't help but shake the feeling that not enough of us are getting involved, and I’m not just talking about this campaign either. I’m not entirely sure what it would take to motivate people, en mass, to really get behind something.

I estimate the donation rate to be somewhere around 0.1%, maybe less. If everyone gave just £5 (who is able to and can honestly afford it) then we could have somewhere between £100,000 and £150,000 by now, and possibly more. If we were to get closer to an average of £20 per donor then we’d be looking at a minimum of £600,000 ($777,660), but nobody really wants to contribute anything and that is what I don’t understand.

The majority of posters complain about the lack of research, but when they are offered a chance to change this, what do most of them do? Absolutely nothing! But they still continue to complain. It's a real head scratcher for me. I don’t want to be negative because I am honestly really grateful to every single person who has been motivated enough to help, but I just feel we work against ourselves too much and never realise our potential. We have the numbers to raise enormous amounts of money for curative research but the fact is nobody wants to.

This is not a socio-economic problem either, in my opinion. If people can afford internet access, and can afford the devices they are accessing the internet from, then they can almost certainly spare a one time £5 donation. Skip one Big Mac meal (or any other fast food option) and that contribution could have a significant impact if we all had the same philosophy.

I’ll repeat that people don’t realise the power they have. If we all suddenly became motivated we could raise a significant amount of money for research. The numbers that have viewed Danny’s Fund is staggering but it hasn’t really converted into donations like I would have hoped and this further highlights the apathy amongst us.

I’m going to try and set something up to see if I can raise money, on the side, and then add it to the fund. I've got a lot going on though, so I may not be around much. So, please keep sharing it and don't let it fizzle out. Let’s make Danny proud, and let's also prove to ourselves that we can make a difference when we unite.

As the old saying goes: united we stand, divided we fall.

 

@Markku Thank you.

love glynis

 

Hi sunnyd - I’ve been looking on YouTube and found a handful of items on news magazine programmes like “Good Morning Britain” that give a few minutes to the tinnitus topic.
Of course, the real torment of this ailment was glossed over by the apparent improvement of the one person filmed.
Actual distress is perhaps too nasty to sell to a largely disinterested audience.

Brother - are we up against it.
We mustn’t run out of petrol though.
Dave x