We are devastated by the unexpected death of our dear Professor Bill Fraser, our lead medical advisor and recently retired Professor of Medicine at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This sad news has sent shockwaves through the parathyroid community. Bill was a wonderful, kind and dedicated man, much loved by his patients and a leading figure in his field. Bill became our lead advisor at the invitation of Liz Glenister in 2005 when he seemed to be the only doctor who knew anything at all about hypoparathyroidism, then quite an unknown condition. He quickly became a widely respected international expert.
We came a long way in 20 years with his unflagging support; without his fighting spirit, generosity and absolute dedication to the cause of hypoparathyroidism and Parathyroid UK we would not have come so far. He stood up at conference and fought our corner. ‘Never forget’ he told delegates ‘These patients not only have physical symptoms to deal with, they also have cognitive and emotional symptoms too. That’s hard.’ That was the first time the impact of hypopara was mentioned publicly and quality of life studies followed soon after.
Bill stood up for what he saw as right and colleagues sometimes saw him as a maverick but he was inevitably right. He listened to his patients and learned from them, devising individual management plans for each one. He would help other endocrinologists struggling to manage a patient’s unstable levels. He advised us on how to manage our calcium levels in ways that weren’t yet published or acknowledged. His depth of knowledge on the subject was vast. He had a particular interest in vitamin D assays and had been working for years on an oral PTH treatment which he’d hoped to see completed. His contribution to research was immense. In short, he was a hero and we shall never forget him.
He will be sorely missed by us all and our thoughts and sympathy go out to his family, friends and colleagues.