Remember the 1990s song “The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone...”? It’s a funny, silly song, usually sung in unison at gatherings where people are three sheets to the wind and beyond caring how daft they sound.

Well, there’s a young 23-year-old man from Cospicua for whom that silly song may bring shivers to his… bones. He has been struck down with bone cancer. It appears that his only fighting chance to save his life is to go abroad for treatment and his family cannot afford it. The Cospicuan community, in their customary deep-seated sense of community spirit, have come together to help this man.

At a time when Cospicuan residents are themselves suffering pitifully under the most disgusting circumstances surrounding the mess of the Dock One project, the sense of community spirit is manifesting itself. In spite of individual hardships resulting from the urban chaos in their locality, an initiative has been launched by the community to raise funds to help this young man.

On behalf of the Friends of Cottonera, artist C.S. Lawrence, a resident of Cospicua, is donating a painting to be sold through silent bidding. In view of the fact that the Cospicua community has so many artists and artisans in its midst, it is fitting that art should be used to raise money for a humanitarian cause. Bidding has started and will finish today.

The painting was on display outside the St George’s band club on Saturday, where a car wash fundraising event was also held.

Imagine the monumental sense of well-being to both the giver and the receiver to know that each small contribution may help towards saving a young man’s life. It is in situations like this that the saying “There but for the Grace of God, go you or I” comes forcefully into play.