EON

This past December, NDP leader Jack Layton vowed ‘to win’ cancer battle, but at this time he was unable to fulfill his very first public event since he first made the announcement that he was being treated for prostate cancer.

A Saturday appearance was to have occurred at a building where people of the Sikh faith come to worship. The Saturday event at which Layton was to have appeared was a planned celebration for a Brampton publication entitled, Road News.

According to Layton’s top spokesperson the NDP leader was simply not in the condition needed for travel at this point, but he did not say whether or not the problem was related to the prostate cancer, or to the treatment that Layton is presently receiving. This was to have been the first time for the public to have seen and heard the popular leader in more than a month.

Less than 2 months ago the headlines about “59 year old Layton vowing ‘to win’ cancer battle” were making the rounds through all media outlets in the country. Now the public is beginning to wonder whether the disease is worse than what they are being told.

Jack Layton made a personal phone call to Jagtar Shergill who was also on the roster of speakers listed for the Saturday celebration in which he made apologies for having to cancel at the last moment. Shergill arranged for the voice mail on his phone to be broadcast over the microphones so all in attendance could hear Layton’s voice as he bowed out of the event.
At this point the Layton family is hoping to keep all of the details about the prostate cancer prognosis and treatment private. Layton’s wife is Olivia Chow who is the NDP MP, and she herself is well known for having had to battle with a type of thyroid cancer in years past. According to a spokesman Jack and Olivia Layton will be attending a special fundraiser that will be held in Toronto shortly. This event is one that is being planned in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Hopefully it will also be to celebrate a new year of hope, happiness and health for Jack Layton as well.