Vintage

Amyloidosis Australia recently received $1000 from Sharon Anderson and her family, raised by selling wristbands and from donations at a car rally, in memory of her dad, Michael Livingstone.  We are grateful for all your efforts in supporting our work!

29.11.1943 - 22.10.2006

The cars are crying in the shed

No one now, to put them to bed.

Each night, put on the light,

Check that they were alright

The shed is silent and so are the cars.

We both weep, and cannot sleep.

I hope we will all soon awake

To find it is a terrible mistake.

We know it is not to be, the cars and me.

A sympathy card is missing, the woodie has it now

She will not reveal, anyhow

I guess it is to consol her sorrow

In time there will be a new tomorrow

And the cars won’t cry in the shed.

By Gwen Livingstone

Michael Patrick Livingston,  62 years, passed away 22.10.06 from systemic amyloidosis.

Michael, husband of Gwen, father of Patrick, Sharon & Amanda, Da to their children.

Michael was a carpet cleaner and loved his job of meeting so many people. He was very active with the Historic Car Movement in Australia. He owned his beloved 1928 ‘A Model’ Ford station wagon which we traveled all over Australia in. His 1931 ‘A Model’ Fire Engine which he used to raise money for charities and the enjoyment at Christmas time was to take the carolers around Cootamundra, and his Leyland P76 Targa Florio. He had a great sense of humour and a very positive attitude.

In 2000 he felt he was out of condition and tried to walk more. He was told it was his asthma and went on a preventive program. His "out of condition" was always blamed on the asthma. In 2004 he had a stent put in to help with a 99% blockage.

He still did not improve. After that it was as Michael said "Every test except a pregnancy test". Nothing was found. Then he was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. The Specialist in Canberra just kept on upping the prednisone dosage and he was not getting any better.

I surfed the net and found a Dr near RPA that specialized in Myasthenia Gravis. After a visit the doctor was sure he did not have it, and advised to get slowly off the medication before he could do more tests. By this time he was having difficulty walking and could not longer work or drive his beloved cars any distance.

In 2006 arrangements were made for a muscle biopsy in Concord Hospital Sydney, which then showed systemic amyloidosis. Tests were done at Canberra Medical centre and it was decided to harvest the stem cells if the medication did not work.

Michael only had one treatment of the medication and said to me "I feel the best I have felt in eight weeks". He was due to go back for his second treatment in about ten days, when he said "I don't feel well" early on the Sunday morning, I said “have a rest” and then heard him call out. They could get the heart to beat but the signal would not continue from the brain to the heart.

It was a great shock and I have only now been able to write. If Ellen had not told me this could happen, I would have had no idea what was happening. Michael's stem cells had been collected uncontaminated (without chemo) before he started the treatment, and they have been donated for cancer research at Canberra National University Medical field. Let us hope they may find something to help cure this terrible disease.

Gwen Livingstone