George Best Foundation - £100,000 Raised for Medical Research

£100,000 Raised for Medical Research

22 May 2010

Research into liver disease continues.

"BEST" Legacy to Foundation for Liver Research

Over many years, despite trying on many occasions to beat his illness, sadly George’s alcohol   consumption caused him severe problems with his liver, which in the end necessitated a liver transplant.

George was cared for by a team of specialists lead by the eminent consultant physician and  hepatologist, Professor Roger Williams CBE, one of the most authoritative and well respected people in the field of liver disease. George always referred to him affectionately as “The Prof”.

George and the “The Prof” shared more than a doctor/patient relationship. A close bond was developed between them during the period of George’s initial treatment and grew stronger during the subsequent illness which led to his death.

One of the areas of George’s life which never received much publicity was his great efforts to   raise funds for liver research. The unstinting time and effort he gave to this was, unfortunately, overshadowed by his lapses into periods of alcohol dependence

In 2001 the George Best Appeal was set up and both before and after his transplant he made considerable efforts to raise funds for the Foundation for Liver Research. Besides his fund raising activities he spoke both authoritatively and movingly to a House of Commons committee about the effects of the terrible disease he was suffering from.

The fund meant a lot to him. He felt very passionately that, despite the huge number of people in the United Kingdom who suffer from the dreadful problem of alcoholism and related  illnesses caused by it, there is very little research carried out into  liver disease.

It was because of this that one of the aims of the George Best Foundation is to raise funds to help in this vitally important field which meant so much to him.

One year exactly following George’s untimely death, the George Best Foundation was honoured and privileged to donate £100,000 to the Foundation for Liver Research.

In a letter dated 6th December 2006, Professor Williams wrote;

" Dear Norman and Barbara. A great cheque and thank you. I do know how hard you have worked to achieve this and my task is to ensure that the very best research and benefit for the patient comes from it. In doing this, I will be consious all the time of how George's very definite wish was to help others avoid the problems he was having. We must all continue to work in his memory".

We all know of George’s legendary skills on the football field and what a legacy that is. However we know that George would have considered that donation as an entirely appropriate way to commemorate his life and one that we are certain George would have been so proud of.