A terminally ill air crash hero given just weeks to live has started selling The Big Issue with his two sons to support them when he’s gone. Dave Besley, 67, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia at the end of 2021, with doctors giving him just six months to live.
Following the devastating prognosis, Dave decided to become a Big Issue vendor alongside his sons Mark Besley, 32, and Shane Besley, 29. The 67-year-old from Bristol took up the job last month and said it has given him something to fight for.
Dave survived the Basel air disaster in 1973, managing to save seven others from the wreckage and was awarded for his heroism. He was just 17 years old when the ill-fated flight took off from Bristol Airport with 145 people onboard and crashed in the snow in Basel, Switzerland, killing 108.
Dave lost his uncle in the disaster but managed to save seven others from the wreckage, for which he was later awarded for his bravery. Next year will be the 50th anniversary and he hopes to live long enough mark the occasion.
“That’s what I’m fighting for," he said. "There are only a couple of survivors left and I want to be there to pay my respects to the survivors in Switzerland and the people in England.
“I always felt that I should have been with the rest of them on the plane when they passed so I have a heavy connection with Bristol. You don’t realise what it’s like until you’re in one of these air disasters.
“You still see it every year. You can hear the crying, you can hear the plane roar, you see every little bit.”
Dave's sons both have learning and behavioural difficulties and he has looked after them for most of his life. He encouraged them to start selling the Big Issue so they would meet people and have a focus when he dies.
“They can’t work so all their life they would be stuck in the house or doing nothing," he explained. "It’s an outlet for when I’m gone so they’ve got something to hang on to and something they can do without being tied down too much.”
It's also giving him a focus during the final part of his life, along with his plans to fundraise for Macmillan cancer charity. "I decided I wanted to do something instead of sitting on the settee shrivelling up and waiting to die," he said.
He added: "This magazine doesn’t only help homeless people and people with no money. It’s for people like me who’ve got disabilities so they can be a part of the community, not just living quietly in a corner.
"It’s been very good so far. There are nice people out there, the public is very supportive.
"I try to explain what the Big Issue is and that it’s a hand up – everybody has their own reasons for selling. For some people it’s just for money.
"For some it’s something to do. For some it’s just to hang on in life.”
Chris Falchi-Stead, frontline director of The Big Issue, described Dave's story as "truly inspirational" and said the frontline team will remain with him and his sons every step of the way.
“It’s incredibly tough out there for our vendors at the moment," he added. “The rising costs of food and energy and quieter high streets along with the colder climes are meaning a usually busy time for magazine vendors look increasingly bleak.
“Which is why we are urging people to give our vendors a fighting chance this Christmas and buy a magazine or a subscription from them. Every copy bought is £2 earned.
"Give our vendors a fighting chance this Christmas. Every copy counts.”
If you would like to support Big Issue vendors like Dave this Christmas, you can buy a copy from your local vendor or subscribe online or support the Big Issue at bigissue.com/christmas
