Greetings to all of my fellow SHF brothers and sisters. Writing to ask for prayers, good thoughts, good vibes, etc. for Mike Peters of The Alarm. Mike’s leukemia has returned and is receiving treatment. Many thanks everyone. Here’s his statement, A Personal Message from Mike Peters I am writing today, to let you all know that my Leukaemia (CLL), has relapsed and I have been admitted to The North Wales Cancer Centre for immediate treatment. I have already started on a brand new chemotherapy regime and so I wanted you to know personally, that my life living with cancer is about to change for the foreseeable future. My immediate aim is to get fit and well for The Gathering in January 2023. We’ve had so many of our greatest shows in Llandudno and celebrated many important milestones (including one of the most emotional nights ever in 2006), when I took to the stage in my green camo jacket and was overcome by the love and affection shown to me, by all present. This coming January will commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Gathering, an event that has come to represent all that we stand for – 30 years of Love Hope and Strength, 30 years of friendship and celebration and through music, helping each other to live life and stay strong. I want you to know that I am going to beat this disease once more and be ready, willing and able to hit the stage at Venue Cymru on January 27th 2023. Since being diagnosed with Pneumonia (after the last British Tour), the post-recovery period provided far greater challenges for me than I could ever have envisaged (although somehow I managed to find the strength to record the backing tracks for a new Alarm album…. I’ve even got my guitar with me on the ward just in case inspiration strikes!) Since then, my twin conditions of Leukaemia and Pneumonia have ganged up inside me to wage a war amongst themselves that has pushed my body to it’s very limits. Thanks to my wife, Jules’ endeavour with the health care system, I was admitted to hospital two weeks ago and the full extent of my problems were laid bare when an X-Ray showed I had a left lung full of blood fluid and a Leukaemia running out of control. Over eight days on the hospital ward, I was able to release over 5 litres of fluid through a drain in my back which allowed me to breathe normally once more. I am now in the Cancer Centre ready take up this new challenge with Leukaemia and get the white blood count back under control. It’s clear that the management of this dramatically changing health landscape is going to impact on my way of life, so I don’t want to make any rash decisions about the way forward right now, but I did want to bring you all up to speed and into the heart of what has been happening to me. I am still alive and living, with a most amazingly close family around me. I also know I can count on the strength and power of the extended Alarm community who care for me personally, just as they do for the words and music and all that brings us together through this unique union. I am as committed as ever to taking on this new challenge with all that I have, whilst at the same time, listening to my body and also to that of the medical experts who can help me understand what I can and can’t do. I can still sing, play guitar and write songs, and I give thanks for all the simple things in life that keep me going. Forwards Mike Peters 25th September 2022 A Personal Message from Mike Peters – The Alarm
Mike has been waging an heroic battle with leukemia for decades now, and it seems he is now in the trenches once again. He's determined to get through and get back onstage again, however. To my mind he's a pretty inspiring figure, as well as one of the nicest guys in all of music. This was posted on his website yesterday: A Personal Message from Mike Peters I am writing today, to let you all know that my Leukaemia (CLL), has relapsed and I have been admitted to The North Wales Cancer Centre for immediate treatment. I have already started on a brand new chemotherapy regime and so I wanted you to know personally, that my life living with cancer is about to change for the foreseeable future. My immediate aim is to get fit and well for The Gathering in January 2023. We’ve had so many of our greatest shows in Llandudno and celebrated many important milestones (including one of the most emotional nights ever in 2006), when I took to the stage in my green camo jacket and was overcome by the love and affection shown to me, by all present. This coming January will commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Gathering, an event that has come to represent all that we stand for – 30 years of Love Hope and Strength, 30 years of friendship and celebration and through music, helping each other to live life and stay strong. I want you to know that I am going to beat this disease once more and be ready, willing and able to hit the stage at Venue Cymru on January 27th 2023. Since being diagnosed with Pneumonia (after the last British Tour), the post-recovery period provided far greater challenges for me than I could ever have envisaged (although somehow I managed to find the strength to record the backing tracks for a new Alarm album…. I’ve even got my guitar with me on the ward just in case inspiration strikes!) Since then, my twin conditions of Leukaemia and Pneumonia have ganged up inside me to wage a war amongst themselves that has pushed my body to it’s very limits. Thanks to my wife, Jules’ endeavour with the health care system, I was admitted to hospital two weeks ago and the full extent of my problems were laid bare when an X-Ray showed I had a left lung full of blood fluid and a Leukaemia running out of control. Over eight days on the hospital ward, I was able to release over 5 litres of fluid through a drain in my back which allowed me to breathe normally once more. I am now in the Cancer Centre ready take up this new challenge with Leukaemia and get the white blood count back under control. It’s clear that the management of this dramatically changing health landscape is going to impact on my way of life, so I don’t want to make any rash decisions about the way forward right now, but I did want to bring you all up to speed and into the heart of what has been happening to me. I am still alive and living, with a most amazingly close family around me. I also know I can count on the strength and power of the extended Alarm community who care for me personally, just as they do for the words and music and all that brings us together through this unique union. I am as committed as ever to taking on this new challenge with all that I have, whilst at the same time, listening to my body and also to that of the medical experts who can help me understand what I can and can’t do. I can still sing, play guitar and write songs, and I give thanks for all the simple things in life that keep me going. Forwards Mike Peters 25th September 2022
All I can mention is that he stopped in my store to pick up a couple of things while he was going to play in town and he was super nice with no “rock star” attitude so I wish him the best.
Thanks to the OP, for this update - I can now begin lifting up Mike once again with his ongoing battle here in the agona. This guy has been persevering with major trials and tribulations for years. The Alarm are a good band, though I haven’t kept up much lately. He’s blessed with a strong supportive wife, friends, and fan base. Which I am one. We can all agree by faith, in one accord… knowing He is there and hears the prayers and positive thoughts. God bless Mike Peters +
That poor man. He has endured so much. And yet, seems to stay positive. I have been a fan since I first heard "The Stand" decades ago, but I became a bigger fan after watching "The Man in the Camo Jacket". He really comes across as a genuinely good person.
Appreciate the OP on this update - I can now begin lifting up Mike once again with his ongoing battle here in the agona. This guy has been persevering with major trials and tribulations for years. The Alarm are a good band, though I haven’t kept up much lately. He’s blessed with a strong supportive wife, friends, and fan base. Which I am one. We can all agree by faith, in one accord… knowing He is there and hears the prayers and positive thoughts. God bless Mike Peters +
I wish Mike well and for a speedy recovery. I met him once after he played with Big Country in my area. Very nice, and gracious.
Man that is sad, I wish him the best of luck fighting that terrible disease. I am not an Alarm fan but I love the work he did with Billy Duffy in Coloursound. I hope he recovers quickly and would love to see him tour with Billy at some point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKTDdC_2HaU
Mike Peters I believe in you. I believe in your strength. I believe in your resilience. I believe in your courage. I believe in your faith. Like you Mike I met leukemia(mine was similar to yours)face to face, and battled and fought as you are now. Don't give up and believe always in tomorrow. When a survivor like myself hears about a situation such as yours it becomes personal. I will hope for you. I will pray for you. I will send all the positive energy I can despite I am a stranger to you. To those on SHF I have said this before, but I will say it again. 1 in 3 people will fight some type of cancer in their lifetime. Don't ever believe it will be the other guy as you may be horribly surprised. I know I was. The fight against cancer is a grass roots fight. With that in mind if you get a solicitation for a few dollars for the local cancer society send them a few. When there is a cancer walk/run please participate; even if you don't get sponsors trust me solidarity goes a long way. Give of your time. Check with the local cancer center and volunteer to perhaps give people fighting this disease a ride to their doctor or treatment appointments. Sit with people who are hospitalized as hospitals get lonely(and perhaps sit with some one who is terminal as no one should pass alone). Lastly, lobby your politicians at every level to pay deeper attention to this illness in all of its forms to create funding for further research and community resources. This disease will only be beat by a communal effort when we work together. Thank you for letting me relay these thought. I appreciate it
I've met him a couple times in person and he's just a genuinely good human. It makes me super depressed to see this repeatedly happen to one of the best people in music, while lots of terrible people in the business just go about their lives completely unscathed by anything. Really hope he pulls through, he's an inspiration on so many levels, and what an incredible catalog he's created.
Mike Peters is a fine music/songwriter and an even better person. His positivity in adversity is an example to us all. I truly hope he can battle past this awful disease and come back as strong as ever. Yma o Hyd, Mike, and long may you be so!
Wishing him the very best. The Strength album is an utter classic in my house. It will get another spin today.
Love, Hope and Strength – A Personal Message from Mike Peters I am writing today, to thank each and every one of you who have sent personal messages of support since my last message about the relapse of my Leukaemia. It has been truly humbling to see the amount of love and affection directed towards myself and my family during this testing time. I have been in hospital for eighteen days and thankfully released from the ward this weekend in order to continue treatment from home with weekly visits to the Day Unit at the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd Hospital. I can’t thank the nurses and medical team enough for the way they have brought me back to life and cared for me both day and night. Jules brought a big box of freshly baked scones (baked by Dottie her Mum), to share with everyone on the ward and there was a tear in my eye as we said farewell. It was so special to come home and Ziggy (our Golden Retriever), gave me the most incredible welcome and to see and embrace my boys Dylan and Evan made the homecoming complete. I have a long way to go to get back to the health I could call upon prior to May 2022, but in order to do so, I am receiving a new chemotherapy drug – Venetoclax that has to be administered incrementally to protect my kidneys. I am currently on a 50mg dosage that will be increased week by week until I can tolerate 400mg, The weekly sessions on the Day Unit will monitor my progress while I receive IV Respirakay treatment and hopefully a move up to the next dosage of Venetoclax. I’m confident I will make it. I will also be receiving monthly infusions of Immunoglobulin Therapy at Llandudno Hospital and hoping that this ground-breaking treatment will keep me safe from from harm by giving me the antibodies I need to fight whatever infections come my way. I also want to say thanks to my wife Jules, who has nursed me through the dark months since May when I was first diagnosed with pneumonia. Little did we realise that that was just the beginning. Underneath the pneumonia all kinds of complications were arising and I became worse and worse with severe night sweats, endless coughing and blackouts. Jules never once wavered on steering me through this turbulent passage of life, and it was her endeavour with the the health care system that finally brought a resolution and direction to the road to recovery I am now navigating once more. So once again, thank you all for the love hope and strength you have been sending my way. I will keep you all abreast of the situation as things develop each week and hope to see you all at The Gathering on January 27th 2023. Forwards Mike Peters 2nd October 2022
