To think the news about the royal baby is completely outweighed by the death of Rio Ferdinand's wife at just 34

[Bearbehind]

The news is full of the royal birth but I've just read about Rio Ferndinad's wife and found it so so sad.

She was just 34 with 3 children and was taken by the bastard that is cancer.

It just makes you realise how fragile life is.

I actually said to my DH this morning that it's probably a great thing for Rio and family, that the royal birth did happen today.

He ended his statement by saying he and his family would appreciate being left alone to grieve.

If there was no royal birth, the tabloid front pages would probably all have had Rebecca on the front page.

My thoughts have been with Rio and his family today. Horrible thing to happen to a family. Horrible for 3 children under 10 to be left motherless.

I've thought about the New Princess but mainly because my sister's children are called Alice and Charlotte. I'm glad it was a simple birth, as any other type give me palpitations. Too soon et al.

But I'm thinking of Rio.

Both equally important? A woman of 34 with three young children dying, and a baby born into royalty oh yes silly me both the same

your born to die, FACT!

Thank you, I think we're all aware of that. Not much comfort to someone who is dying or has lost a loved one though.

No-one is saying it is the same. Most people are saying that they feel happy when babies are born and sad when people die but there is no competition. If you are not a football fan you would not know who Rio Ferdinand was.

Many people will have experience a death today, and many others a happy event - they feel what they feel

I don't know why you have to compare the two? People are born and people die every day. Only their family can feel the weight of these events. I don't see anyone saying one was more important, just reporting the facts.

No, you didn't say otherwise but your delivery of 'your born to die, FACT!' could have done with less of the sledge hammer. Most of us have lost loved ones and are sadly well acquainted with that particular FACT.

I wonder how many of the people mourning Rebecca Ferdinand on here actually had much idea of her existence or would have recognised her if they passed her in the street? There is a whiff of competitive grief porn around here.

I am well aware of grief, heartache, and trauma, and birth, I am not the one making it a competition, you are by your statements.

By taking you to task on some of your statements I'm making it a competition?

All I've said is that most of us have experienced loss and your blunt 'your born to die, FACT!' approach doesn't really serve much purpose. But you're clearly annoyed and have decided to go on illogical attack mode. Have fun with that.

I actually thought there was quite a bit of coverage of Rebecca Ellison's untimely death, and that it was respectful. I had never heard of her before but you'd have to have a heart of stone not to feel some sadness at someone dying so young and three young children losing a mother. Doesn't mean it has to be measured against other things, happy or sad. It should remind us to get on and live our lives as you don't know what the future holds.

Ruth Rendall died today and that was definitely lower down the news list than the princess's birth or Rebecca's death. Given her career more attention might have been expected, but then she was 85 so while no doubt her loved ones and fans are sad, it's not exactly a shock, and she had had a good long life.

They're entirely different events and situations. It's not a contest. You could equally say that a road accident killing ten people in some far-flung country is worthy of still more attention as it's 'worse' - but it just doesn't work that way.

Im glad the princess was delivered safely, im saddened by the death of a young mother. Neither is more newsworthy but as the almost wife of a terminal cancer patient im happier to hear of new life.

I too think it is absurd to compare the two events. The Sunday Times has this quote from Rio:
“She’s not into celeb life,” he revealed in an interview in 2009. “She was an accountant and had her own working life and personality. I don’t think she’d come near a football match if I was not playing. That works for both of us.”

It suggests that she may have neither expected nor wanted her death to be headline news. The grief belongs to her family and friends, it doesn't need to be validated by strangers.

It's not a competition for attention.

The royal baby is a big public event. It's also positive and people are more comfortable getting excited and discussing it.

I work with people who are poorly, many are dying and to me it's all equally as sad as they are human beings, loved by others and no one deserves to die in pain. They aren't all elderly either, some are very young. The fact it's a footballers wife means it's made the news but it's no more or less sad than any of the other people who die of cancer every day. A new member of the royal family isn't the same as any baby being born. People are allowed to get excited and be interested. It doesn't mean they don't care about the sad, scary things happening in the world.

To be honest I've seen just as much in the media about this lady as I have about the princess as well.

Yesterday at times the most read story on BBC news was Rebecca's Ferdinand's death, which felt respectful but it is unrealistic to expect it remain so.

I thought the statement was very well written and was genuinely upset. How much news coverage she gets won't change anything and Rio asked for privacy to grieve.

I'm very little interested in either as a news story, tbh.
I know ppl in real life who have died from cancer or had babies. Those I'm quite interested in.
(yet another thread to hide).

I think it might be a small blessing for the Ferdinand family that this tragedy is not splashed all over the papers in lurid detail. It might just give them a little bit more privacy than they would normally have got at this time. Probably no comfort to them though and it is incredibly sad.

It is sad for anyone to die before three score years and ten.
It is an occasion of great joy for any much wanted healthy baby to be born.

I love Other Lives too, Springtimemama. Quite often it features people who have led amazing lives, even if they weren't famous.

I see David Goldberg, CEO of Survey Monkey and husband of Sheryl Sandberg, has also just died. He was 47.

bearbehind it seems like you've come on here for an argument.
One event doesn't trump another.
One is happy, Rebecca's death is incredibly sad.
The fact that you call her someone's wife rather than her name is much more disrespectful I think.