"December 1976 was to prove one of the most devastatingly memorable and emotionally disruptive months of Morrissey's life. Recently, he had heard some tragic news that threatened to shatter his cosseted world. Angie, the effervescent girl with whom he had attended concerts, confided in, written to, and frequently chatted with on the phone, was reportedly dying. After returning from Italy with her boyfriend at the end of the summer, she became ill and was taken to hospital. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday it was discovered that she had leukaemia. Morrissey visited her in hospital on 5 December and was shaken by the encounter. The breezy, vivacious girl he had remembered was now a pale, thin, vulnerable shadow of herself. She had lost nearly four stone in as many months and seemed close to death. In the wake of the visit, Morrissey was on the verge of tears. For a time, the experience made him dismiss his own meagre problems and be thankful for good health. In the long term, the experience contributed to a chilling antipathy towards hospitals and fuelled an already well-developed morbidity." The Severed Alliance