Peter Macdonald Hewitt (1959-2008)

Peter Hewitt, co-founder of Care for Africa, died quietly at home while asleep in Launceston, Tasmania about 4:30am on July 30th 2008 after a four year battle with prostate cancer. He was 49 years old. A true inspiration to so many people, he and his seemingly limitless enthusiasm and energy will be sadly missed.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa on April 3rd 1959, Dr. Peter MacDonald Hewitt was a highly regarded gastrointestinal surgeon at the Launceston General Hospital and a much loved and respected teacher in the Launceston Clinical School of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tasmania.

The eldest son of Lizzie and Jack Hewitt, Peter was educated at the Pretoria Boys High School, leaving in 1975 to study medicine at Pretoria University where he graduated with Honours, ironically after initially being refused acceptance and having to complete a science degree to gain admittance to the School of Medicine. Peter completed his post-graduate specialist training in 1991 at Groote Schuur Hospital, the main teaching hospital of the University of Cape Town's Medical School, and continued working in the trauma unit there for two years.

He married Kim Hamilton, eldest daughter of Tom and Patricia Hamilton on April 3rd 1983 at the St Columbus Presbyterian Church in Pretoria, South Africa. Peter and Kim celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in April 2008, only four months before Peter died.

Peter and Kim left South Africa in August 1994 moved to Hong Kong for two years so that Peter could continue his post-graduate training Prince of Wales Hospital in Shatim, before moving to Sydney in October 1996. Peter worked for four years at St Georges Hospital in Kogarah and was a much-loved lecturer at the UNSW Faculty of Medicine. Students would travel from all over Sydney to attend his lectures which were often standing room only.

In 2000, Peter and Kim moved to Launceston. Peter joined the surgical staff at the Launceston General Hospital and was concurrently an Associate Professor in the Launceston Clinical School of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tasmania.

The November 2004 diagnosis of inoperable tumors secondary to prostate cancer changed Peter’s outlook overnight. While coping with the debilitating side effects of cancer treatment, Peter continued to work long hours as a surgeon at the Launceston General Hospital, often operating on patients with less severe cancers than his own. He also devoted seemingly limitless time and energy to raising awareness in the local community of the plight of the disadvantaged, the orphaned and the sick in Africa.

In October 2007, after being told he was too sick to travel (doctors had discovered a tumor in his brain the week before), Peter flew again to Tanzania … this time taking with him with a group of nine young Tasmanian medical and education volunteers.

In December 2007, Peter received a prestigious award for engagement with the community from the vice-chancellor of the University of Tasmania who noted that his activities “exemplify selfless service to the community through embracing practical social philanthropy”.

Despite an enormous set back in February 2008 when he had emergency heart surgery and then a week later surgery for a tumor on his spinal cord which left him partially paralysed and in a wheelchair, Peter continued to devote huge amounts of time and effort to his medical students and in support of the less fortunate in Africa.

Peter was also a keen bushwalker, runner and ultra-marathoner. He ran the Overland Track in 2004 in just over 19 hours and completed many difficult walks throughout Tasmania including Cradle Mountain, the Walls of Jerusalem and Frenchman’s Cap, both before and after his cancer diagnosis. In recent years he could be found fishing, a childhood pastime, off the East Coast seeking flathead or anything else that would put up a decent fight.

Peter’s enthusiasm, optimism and courage was limitless. Living in constant and debilitating pain, he faced his own mortality, and its consequences on his family, with modesty, concern for everyone except himself, and enormous courage.

“What I said to myself when I got sick is I just have to m

ake this a positive experience and this is my way of doing that. I have to make every day count and what better way than to help those less fortunate than myself” he said recently.

Peter is survived by his wife Kim and three children, Jason (21) a student at the University of Melbourne, Emma (19) a student at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, and Sarah (16) a student at the Launceston Church Grammar School, his younger brother Alastair of Johannesburg, and mother Lizzie of Pretoria.

Mourners told of an amazing passion for life

BY DANIELLE BLEWETT (LAUNCESTON’S EXAMINER NEWSPAPER)

AUGUST 5TH 2008

WHIMSY and tragedy greeted the 400 mourners who attended the funeral of surgeon Dr Peter Hewitt at St John's Church in Launceston yesterday.

In the minutes before the service started the sweet music of Let's Go Fly A Kite tickled at the church's sandstone walls before being tempered by R.E.M's Everybody Hurts.

People from all walks of life - our artists, politicians, teachers, students, doctors, nurses and patients - attended the service which was led by the Rev. Ross Nicholson.

Dr Hewitt, who diagnosed his own terminal cancer in 2004, outlived even his own expectations.

In March this year he said: "I have already surpassed my prognosis of 2004 or 2005."

Dr Hewitt died at home with his wife Kim early last Wednesday morning.

His brother Alastair led the tributes reflecting on his brother's enviable spirit and recalling his passion and compassion.

Dr Hewitt's eldest daughter, Emma, put a positive spin on her father's habit of running late.

"He had three months and he gave us four years," Emma said.

"We three kids will forever be grateful for having a truly amazing father," she said.

Colleague David Lloyd recalled Dr Hewitt's "disarming grin" from under his surgeon's mask and a person who delighted in the naughty.

"He had a brain the size of a planet and a heart the size of the solar system ... who loved this town and this State and who had our deep love," Dr Lloyd said.

Dr Nathan Lawrentschuk mirrored the anger of "the wrong disease in the wrong person at the wrong time" while reminding the congregation of Dr Hewitt's larger- than-life presence.

"I heard him before I met him," Dr Lawrentschuk said.

Dr Hewitt was a "fantastic father to his three beautiful children" he was "father" in the true sense of the word "to so many of us", Dr Lawrentschuk said.

Professor Scott Parkes read from John 14:1 before Dr Hewitt's youngest daughter Sarah read from Dylan Thomas,

"Do not go gentle into that good night:

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Friends and colleagues pay tribute to surgeon

JUL 31ST 2008 (LAUNCESTON’s EXAMINER NEWSPAPER)

RESPECTED Launceston surgeon Peter Hewitt died at home early yesterday morning, finally succumbing to a three- year battle with cancer.

Friends and Launceston General Hospital colleagues paid tribute to the cheerful former South African surgeon who took an active part in the community and helped run a major Save Africa fund-raising project as well as continuing to work almost until the time he died.

Dr Hewitt stunned friends with his perseverance to continue with an active life which included treating his patients even while he was being treated for the virulent prostate cancer that finally killed him.

Friend and medical colleague Scott Parkes said yesterday that the highly skilled liver and bowel surgeon had set up the State's first specialist liver unit so that patients no longer had to travel interstate for treatment or go without.

"He stayed here (in Launceston) because he was able to help lots of people and he loved the environment," Dr Parkes said.

LGH director of surgery Berni Einoder said that Dr Hewitt would be missed by both the medical and general community.

"We were fortunate eight years ago that we were able to employ a surgeon of the high quality of Peter Hewitt," Associate Professor Einoder said.

"We desperately needed someone to do liver surgery - he's been that person in Tasmania but he's also been an enthusiastic educator for undergraduate and post- graduate students and will be badly missed."

He is survived by his wife, Kim and his children, Jason, Sarah and Emma.