By Jenni Flett
A GOOD Samaritan died on Christmas Day after slipping on ice while helping a neighbour.
Donald Husband spent nine days in a coma before succumbing to his injuries.
The 78-year-old had never regained consciousness following the accident in Danderhall,Midlothian.
The grandfather-of-three had been taking a set of keys to a neighbour when he fell and hit his head.
His family was given hope that Mr Husband could recover as he was able to breathe for himself and was moving while in his hospital bed but doctors warned them he would probably not recover and he died on Christmas day.
His son, William 54, a mechanical engineer who lives in Thurso with his wife Elspeth, 55, said: “I got a phone call from one of his neighbours to tell me about the accident, and that my father was being taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. I drove down from Thurso that day and found he had been transferred to the Western General Hospital.
“The doctors were great but they told me the chances of him pulling through were extremely slim. They said it was normal that he might show signs of improvement but that would probably come before he slipped down again.
Keys
“We saw flickers of movement which gave us some hope, and he was taken off the ventilator and could breathe by himself, but he was in a coma the whole time.
“I went back home on December 23 and the doctors said it was just a matter of time. I told them to phone whenever anything happened so they called us with the news on Christmas morning.
“It’s terribly sad because he was fit and active and still had some good years left in him.”
Mr Husband’s good deed was one of many he did around the Danderhall area. He was known for organising regular flower shows for the Royal Horticultural Society and was a church officer.
A friend of Mr Husband, Douglas Wood, 49: “It was a tragic accident. He was doing a good turn for a neighbour by bringing over a set of keys when he slipped on black ice in the street beside his house.
“He was a well-kent face who was always involved with different groups and interests. A lot of people knew him and they’re going to miss him.”
