- A government scientist,
- he gave up this role
- when he was diagnosed
- with severe cardiomyopathy,
- failure of the heart muscle.
- By the end
- he could not walk,
- struggled to read.
- He often fell over,
- on one occasion
- smashing his teeth.
- Doctors gave him
- a year and a half to live.
- They were urging him
- to have a heart transplant
- to prolong his life.
- He loved cricket
- cooking, had
- a beautiful sense of humour;
- a classically trained musician,
- he loved Beethoven.
- He wouldn’t have the transplant.
- He had no commitments,
- thought it would be better
- if there was a heart
- for it to go
- to somebody else.
- He developed a brain tumour.
- A government contractor
- gave him a fitness-to-work test.
- Three months later
- his support was stopped.
- He initially challenged the decision
- but the appeal was withdrawn;
- he felt too ill
- to fight.
- He couldn’t play the piano
- he was so ill.
- His mother passed away.
- Seven months later
- he fell at home
- and never regained consciousness.
[Daily Mirror, 10/04/2014, Atos judges dying scientist fit to work – despite serious heart condition and brain tumour]