A Tribute Post For Lucy Glennon

Readers, I am very sad to have just found out that Lucy Glennon died this morning.

Lucy lived with the skin condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB).

She was a journalist who often wrote on disability issues. I followed her articles in the Guardian, in particular, for many years.

Although we never met in person, Lucy and I have been Facebook friends and have had connections on Twitter for some time. We shared some Facebook and Twitter connections from the disability community.

As I keep saying, readers, the disability community is a special one. It includes people with all disabilities. The loss of one of our own is something that becomes normal to us at too young an age- but it is something that always hits us all hard.

The greatest tribute I can give to Lucy is the link above, to her Guardian page. For although we did not share a disability, we shared the profession of journalism. Through this link, and others, I hope that Lucy’s words- so many of them written to support our shared community- will live on for a long time to come. And I know that that is all a writer- any writer- would want professionally.

My thoughts are with Lucy’s family, her offline friends and anyone who knew her better than I did.

I am also thinking today of all the friends Lucy and I share. Our lists are that little bit shorter, our hearts are aching- we have been reminded yet again of something we all know, but hate to remember. Sometimes, readers, disability kills.

But we fight, through words, blog posts, newspaper articles and in countless other ways, so that we can pick ourselves up, dust off our aching hearts and go fight the rest of the battle, so that life can be that little bit better for those left behind- and for those yet to join our community.

RIP Lucy Glennon.

Updated 11.30pm

I have just read this post by campaigner and our mutual friend Lisa Egan, who knew Lucy offline. It’s so beautiful that I just had to link to it.

Updated 2/2 11am

I have just read this beautiful tribute to Lucy, by campaigner and our mutual friend Kaliya Franklin, who also knew Lucy offline. It moved me to tears.