Hmmm,
The two founders of HWI (Simon Smalley and Keith Sheel) both passed away all too prematurely.
And now I am going to give you my medical history of the last 6 years or so ....
I myself have had quite a few severe and near fatal health scares in that period.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia (in 2003), a result of an inability of my body to absorb Vitamin B12 from food (100 years ago this condition was fatal, because there was no known solution - now I have to make sure I get a Vitamin B12 injection every 3 months). My doctor at the time was amazed, because of the low level of haemoglobin in my blood - about 35% of normal. Nobody would have survived that condition if it had come about overnight. It was a result though of a process lasting (probably) about a decade (a systematic lack of Vitamin B12 takes between 5 and 15 years to show up, as this is apparently the only Vitamin B version that the body can store (in the liver).
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Without the correct diagnosis being established, I would have passed away a few years ago. Fortunately, my local practitioner suspected the real cause and sent me to a specialist. But quite possibly, I contracted a different health problem in response.
Then a complication occurred, in the form of irregular heartbeat. Quite possibly, because of my anaemia, my heart was forced to work too hard, and as a result I suffered from heart fibrilliation.
This was resolved eventually, after I was put on a course of blood thinning medicines. The blood thinners were necessary because the weakened function of my heart caused an increased risk of thrombosis (blood clots). I received an 'electrical shock' treatment to put my heartbeat back in order.
The subsequent procedure of reducing the intake of blood-thinning medication proved almost fatal ....
About a year ago, a few months after the reduction in blood-thinning medication was put into effect, I as on the way to my local supermarket when I collapsed in the street. It turned out that the reduction in blood-thinner dosage had caused a critical situation, as I had developed blood clots in my legs, which had gotten loose, and these clots had passed on via my heart to my lungs, where they interfered wit the normal lung function.
Actually I have been informed that I am extremely lucky I survived this health scare. It could just as well have been that the blood clots had stuck in my heart. That would have been end of story immediately (which did happen to my mother at the end of 1970 - she died from that type of complications after an illness).
Anyway. I started to overcome these serious health problems about three months ago. Then, after having suffered severe sleepiing problems for a long time, I was diagnosed with yet another health problem.
My local doctor sent me to a specialist on problems with the digestive system, as I had developed new problems.
Again, I had begun suffering of anaemia. This time though it was not a shortage of Vitamin B12, but a shortage of iron.
This was caused by a polyp in my stomach. The polyp was damaged, and this resulted in extra blood and iron loss.
Right now, I am uttely at the end of what I can stand - It's been years now since I have been able to live a normal life.
And I hope I get quite a few more extra years compared to Keith Sheel and Simon Smalley.
Still, I remain optimistic..
For me, birthday commemorations are absolutely useless. I have been close to expiring on quite a few cases recently (I am lucky to still be alive).
On the other hand, I consider being alive as a lucky factor. I hope I can still assist in some website matters.
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Are birthdays necessary?
Birthdays as such are not. Celebrating them is, though.
Birthdays can't be avoided. I think Steve MacDonald means to ask "Is celebrating birthdays necessary?"
Whether or not birthdays are necessary is actually irrelevant.
In fact, even worse, without birthdays, the human race would soon expire, and there would be no birthdays to celebrate whatsoever
but I'm also working on something that should please Hayley! 
