Pick Me Up! – 30 May 2019

It waslike

a rayof

sunshine

breaking

through

theclouds

REAL LifE

ht

David–

a brave,

generous

daddy

TenDer

words:

Niamh

BurNs,

Kerri

muirhead.

photos:

North

News

aNd

pictures

appy uture,awayrom

hospitals,worryandsickness.

ByMarch2017,David

completed radiotherapy.

Everything appearedtobe

on the mend.

That same month,he

proposed – and, overthemoon,

we booked our weddingfor

July this year.

Then, a couple ofmonthson,

something amazinghappened.

‘David, I’m pregnant!’I

beamed one morninginJune.

It was wonderfulnews– and

as we hugged and kissed,it felt

like a good omen.

Still, dark thoughtsniggled.

What if his tumourcomes

back? What if me andour

unborn child are leftalone?

Pushing the thoughtsaway,

I focused on my pregnancy.

In March last year,I gave

birth to our son Jude.

‘He’s so beautiful,’Davidsaid.

Watching him holdourson

for the first time meantthe

world to me. Jude lookedjust

like his daddy.

As we adjusted tolifewith

the three of us, it wasbliss.

David attended regular

checkups with doctors,and

things were lookinggood.

But then, last November–

while on the way backhome

from a hospital appointment–

David suffered a seizure.

I felt a sickeningdejavuas

I dialled 999 and Davidwas

rus e

tohospital

onceagain.

There,he

underwenta brain

scan,butdoctorswerebaffled

astowhatwaswrong.

AgainDavidwasputintoan

inducedcoma.

HuggingJude,I prayedthat

everythingwouldbeOK.

Bytheendof November,

Davidwasdischargedandtold

totakeit easyat home.

Buthewasinandoutof

hospital,tiredandweak.

Hejustabout

madeit throughthe

Christmasperiod.

Despitefeelingso

ill,Davidspentas

muchtimewith

Judeaspossible.

Lyinginbedone

Sundaymorning,he

wrappedhisarms

aroundourbaby

whowassnoozingonhischest.

‘Willyoutellhimallabout

me,justincasesomething

happenstome?’Davidasked.

‘OfcourseI will,’I saidas

I felttearswellingup.

‘Whateverhappens,he’ll

alwaysknowwhoyouare.’

Thefearof losingDavidwas

overwhelming.Yet,deep

down,I knewI couldn’trun

awayfromfate.

ByJanuarythisyear,David’s

conditionworsenedandhe

wasadmittedtohospitalagain.

Sufferingfromseizuresand

a respiratoryarrest,hewasput

intoanothercoma.

I wasusedtothisandhoped

he’dbebackhomesoon.But

doctorshaddevastatingnews.

‘I’mafraidDavidis showing

nosignsof brainactivity,’one

doctortoldme.

Onthescans,

they’dfoundother

micro-tumoursin

hisbrain.

‘Wedon’tknow

howlongDavidhas

left,’I wastold.

‘Thiscan’tbe

happening,’I cried.

ButDavid’s

conditiondidn’tget

better.On 24 January,doctors

confirmedhewasbraindead.

Hismachinewasswitched

off.Hewasgone.

Only 28 yearsold.

Thefuturesuddenlylooked

agonisinglybleak.There’dbe

nobigwhitewedding.No

celebratingJude’sfirststeps.

Theloveof mylifewasgone,

andthefactJudewouldbe

broughtupwithouthisdadin

hislifetoremetoshreds.

Butdoctorsgavea glimmer

of hope.

Theytoldme

Davidhad

signedtheorgan-

donationregister

whenhewas17.

I’dhadnoidea.

Butknowinghisorgans

wouldhelpsavethelivesof

otherswassucha comfort.

Likea rayof sunshine

breakingthroughdarkclouds.

Andtwoweekslater,on

6 February,I receiveda letter.

It confirmedDavid’sorgans

hadsavedthelivesof two

youngwomenandthreemen.

A mananda woman

receivedhiskidneys,another

mangothisliver,a womanhad

a doublelungtransplantand

a manreceiveda lifesaving

hearttransplant.

Readingthroughtheletter,

tearsflowed.Forthefirsttime

inweeks,I wasn’tcryingoutof

sadness,butpride.

ThefactDavid’sheartwasin

anotherman’sbody,keeping

himalive,wasamazing.

David’sfuneralwasheldat

StBede’sChapelat Teesside

Crematoriumon 15 February.

Now,mylossis stillraw.

ButJudekeepsmestrong.

I’llbesuretotellhimwhata

bravemanhisdaddywas,and

howgenerous,too.

Outthere,fivepeopleare

living,thankstohim.

Davidwasmyhero...and

hecontinuestobe,evennow

he’sgone.

ness

the