The greatest gift of all

David Williamson, pictured with his wife Donna, will donate all his organs in a remarkable gift to improve the life of other Victorians. Picture: Andrew Henshaw
Fiona Hudson

December 23, 2008 12:00am


DAVID Williamson desperately wants a new body for Christmas, but he knows it's not coming.

Instead, the former paramedic is making plans to donate all his organs in a remarkable gift to improve the lives of other Victorians.

The selfless 43-year-old is suffering advanced motor neurone disease and struggles to move and talk. Even breathing is hard.

But his brain works perfectly - and he has resolved to donate his heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and corneas.

"I want to donate everything," he said from his hospital bed last night.

"I want to make something good come out of something bad."

The degenerative disorder affects his nerves, but has left his organs undamaged and, ultimately, available to desperate Victorians on transplant lists.

David will also donate his brain and spinal cord to motor neurone disease researchers.

"Why take the organs with me? They're no good to me once I am dead," he said.

"There are so many good organs that should be used by people who need them."

Mr Williamson's wife, Donna, feared he would die last week when he came down with a chest infection and had to be rushed from Bairnsdale to the Austin Hospital.

"We thought it might have been the end of the road, he was in dire trouble. But he rallied. He said 'I don't want to ruin anyone's Christmas'."

Depending on his condition, there is a chance Mr Williamson could head home today for Christmas.

He has already volunteered to give up his ventilator to another patient he decided was "more needy".

Before doctors diagnosed the disease in April, Mr Williamson was the associate nurse unit manager in the emergency department at Bairnsdale Hospital.

Before that, he was an advanced life support paramedic. Helping others has been a lifelong habit.

Mr Williamson sought special permission from the hospital ethics committee to remain on ventilation after death so his organs can be collected undamaged.

"I'm really passionate about organ donation. I've always been a donor."

The disease has affected him more rapidly than expected.

The family have a long history of the condition - his father, grandmother, great aunt and great uncle all died from the disorder.

"I didn't expect to get it this young. I knew there was a 50-50 chance I'd get it," Mr Williamson said.

There is no way of knowing if his two sons, now aged 17 and 20, will be struck down with the condition.

There is no cure for the disease, which kills one Australian every day on average.

But Mr Williamson remains remarkably optimistic.

A handful of tickets in the hospital Christmas raffle are taped to his bedside table, and he cracks jokes with almost every precious breath.

"It'll be a cheap cremation. There won't be much left to barbecue," he joked.

His ability to eat is unaffected and he plans to scoff deep-fried food when he makes it back to Bairnsdale.

His humour hides what he admits is terrible pain: his arms ache and his fingers curl involuntarily.

Donna, a book-keeper, said motor neurone disease was very painful.

"He's very brave about it. He never complains. He's always thinking of others."

TO register for the Australian Organ Donor Register, call 1800 777 203.

FOR more information about Motor Neurone Disease visit www.mnd.asn.au

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...95-661,00.html