Michael Sadler is going through a tough time. In a Facebook post, the Saga vocalist and keyboardist the recent time “has been a whirlwind of loss, and reflection for me and my family.”
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On a June many years ago, Sadler’s father died in “an event that has shaped me in ways that I’m only now beginning to understand, as a parent myself.” Just days after this year’s anniversary of his father’s death, Sadler’s sister, Dianne, died “after an excruciating battle with cancer.”
“Her passing has left an immense void for all of us,” he wrote.” Dianne was like a second mother to me and my siblings—fiercely loving, kind and funny, a bit bossy, always looking out for us, even until her final moments. She fought with incredible bravery, putting on a cheerful front to comfort us all.”
“It was in fact my dearest birthday wish this year, as I turned another year older on July 5, that she’d be here to celebrate with me and my younger brother, whose birthday was July 2nd – which sounds a bit selfish, but of course we all wanted her with us as long as possible,” Sadler continued. “I’ve been a wreck ever since me and my family visited a few weeks ago.”
The Saga singer added, “Being alone with her at the exact moment when she passed is a heartbreak I’m still navigating, and I’m struggling to process it all.”
As a whole, Sadler wrote, “this past year has been especially challenging for my family.”
“On my side, cancer struck 3 of the 5 siblings, in fact I found out about my brother’s Leukemia, within a day of my shock diagnosis last September,” Sadler wrote. “My brother is thankfully doing well on a daily drug regimen and we are so grateful for that.”
Michael Sadler’s Cancer Battle
As for Sadler himself, he learned in April that his cancer “is incurable and untreatable.”
“Though I’m currently stable and otherwise doing well, this news has turned my life toward a more introspective and purposeful path,” he wrote. “In this autumn of my life, I find myself reflecting on all the time I wasted and the precious moments I have left – what to do, with whom, and how to spend it. I’m learning to live in this uncertain space, cherishing every moment I’m given.”
“With all this, I am deeply aware of my responsibilities and I plan on looking forward as best as we can,” Sadler continued. “I’m working on leaving a musical legacy both for the band, completing my new projects and of course, keeping my promises to my family.”
Though tragedy has befallen his family, Sadler wrote “it is what it is.”
“I can only hope that you’ll continue to support my efforts and hope to see you all again at my various events,” he wrote. “Maybe we’ll say hi to each other and take selfies a few more times.”
Sadler concluded his post by thanking his followers for their “outpouring of birthday wishes and sympathy,” noting that it “has touched my heart more than I can express.”
“Thank you all for your love and kindness during this bittersweet time,” he wrote. “Your love and friendship means the world to me and my family. May your lives be blessed. See you all soon.”
Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns
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