Ditka Helping Effort To Cure Liver Disease That Killed Walter Payton
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Former Bears coach Mike Ditka has lent his voice to a campaign to find a cure for the liver disease that killed Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.
"You think of how strong he was," Ditka said. "I mean, he was the personification of a great athlete, strength, and all of a sudden, boom, all of a sudden it was all gone, and he left us at a way too early age."
Payton died of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) in 1999, at the age of 45. At the time, he was the NFL's all-time leader in career rushing yards and career yards from scrimmage.
The former Bears coach sat at a corner table at his namesake Gold Coast restaurant on Thursday, saying he'd like to do whatever small part he can to raise awareness of and find a cure for PSC. The disease causes scarring in the bile ducts, which carry digestive liquid from the liver to the small intestine. The scars make the bile ducts hard and narrow, gradually causing serious liver damage, often leading to liver failure and repeated infections.
"I don't even know if they'll ever find a cure, but it's worth trying to do," Ditka said.
He has given his support to Dr. Lisa Boyette's effort to find a cure for PSC. She started a non-profit called Save Jon, named after her 26-year-old brother, Jonathan Boyette, who needs a liver transplant to survive. She noted PSC can occur even after a liver transplant. Her mission is to save her brother and others suffering from the rare disease.
