Tony Iommi has been suffering from lymphoma for a few years now and vividly recalls the day he was diagnosed, as he's told the BBC.
"I was in a bubble for a while — just like the isolation box … When I was diagnosed, I was absolutely devastated," he said. "They're talking to me, saying, 'You've got stage three,' and it's going in my head and I just felt somewhere else. And it was only later when I really broke down. I thought, 'That's it, it's the end.' And you really think that. But it's not. There are people who can help."
Iommi also recounts how lonely it is to be a cancer sufferer and wanted to spread awareness about just how lonely being diagnosed can be. So Iommi teamed up with Macmillian Cancer Support for their Not Alone campaign and stood in a glass box outside Birmingham, England's Bullring Shopping Centre. The catch here is that while everyone can see Iommi, he can't see anyone- it's all one-way glass to get the point of loneliness across.
That's brave as hell on his end, considering he knows what's it's like. Here are some powerful pictures from the event.
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi in glass box cancer stunt #nowplaying http://t.co/NzwUzOzxNb
— insight4news (@Insight4News3) August 26, 2015
Tony with the Birmingham @macmillancancer crew helping promote their awareness campaign. pic.twitter.com/cIvJfv34uo — Tony Iommi (@tonyiommi) August 26, 2015
Time into @bbcmtd now to find out why @tonyiommi was in the #IsolationBox earlier for @macmillancancer #NotAlone pic.twitter.com/EXiD0lMM53
— Macmillan Celeb Team (@mac_celebteam) August 26, 2015
In @bbcmtd region? Tune in today to hear @tonyiommi talk about his cancer experience & @macmillancancer #IsolationBox pic.twitter.com/1tBHNTVci7 — Macmillan Celeb Team (@mac_celebteam) August 26, 2015
Tony Iommi supporting the #isolation box @macmillancancer @Bullring pic.twitter.com/MzD4tX75aZ
— Macmillan BC&Brum (@MacBBC) August 26, 2015
