According to BBC News, Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is raffling one of his Gibson SG guitars to raise money for the hospital where he received cancer treatment more than a decade ago.
The 77-year-old musician underwent care at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 2012, following a lymphoma diagnosis a few months earlier. Four years later, he shared that his cancer was in remission.
Earlier today, Iommi joined hospital staff to help kick off a fundraising campaign supporting a £150,000 appeal to renovate Heartlands Hospital’s cancer treatment center.
Speaking to BBC about his diagnosis, Iommi said: It was a terrible shock. It’s really hard when you’re going through that. You just never think until you’re in that situation, and I know how difficult it is, and how they feel. I like to be able to give something back and be involved and help.
He continued by reflecting on the quality of care he received during his treatment: The more comfortable you can make the patient, the better. I know when I was in, they treated me so well, that everybody was so nice, the nurses were nice, everybody was great. To have the right environment means a hell of a lot.
The funds raised will go toward refurbishing the treatment center, including purchasing special chairs designed for chemotherapy patients.
Shankara Paneesha, a consultant hematologist at Heartlands, called the effort “fantastic,” adding: Some of the additional support which the charities can provide does make the journey for our patients much better.
Iommi plans to share more details about the raffle through his social media once it officially launches.
The guitarist first revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after Black Sabbath announced their reunion tour and new album. He continued treatment throughout the recording of 13 and during the promotional tour that followed.
In January 2017, Iommi underwent surgery to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat. 13 marked the first time in 35 years that Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Geezer Butler recorded an album together.
