I’M GRATEFUL for loads. I mean, I try and find gratitude every day. I’m grateful for my kids – I’ve good family and friends around me, I’m grateful for that… I’m a happy enough man.

These are the remarkable words of Gerry Collins which you can hear in the above video, his last before he passed away last March.

Gerry became a well-known and inspiring figure in Ireland as the face of the HSE’s Quit campaign. He moved the country with his appreciation of life, even while facing terminal lung cancer.

He recorded the video, with the support of his friends and family, shortly before his death at the age of just 57.

Knowing that he had a very short amount of time left to live, he dedicated it to encouraging those around him not to take up smoking and to stop if they had started.

The HSE estimates that Gerry’s ads have helped over 100,000 smokers try to quit so far this year.

So watch the video and then take a moment for yourself. Taking Gerry as inspiration, ask yourself: What am I grateful for today?

Inspire us with your thoughts in the comments section.

Getting help quitting smoking can double your chances of success. Log on to www.quit.ie for an online QUITplan, call the QUITline on FREEPHONE 1800 201 203 and talk to a counsellor, visit the HSE’s You can QUIT Facebook page for support, talk to your GP or pharmacist. 

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