More than 1,000 mourners applauded the life of Doujon Zammit at his funeral in Sydney yesterday as relatives battled to come to grips with the 20 year old's violent end.
Murdered Sydney man, Doujon Zammit, who was killed on holiday in the Greek islands, has joined an "endless party" in heaven, funeral celebrant Fr Michael Smith said yesterday.
Mr Zammit was left brain dead after an attack by a nightclub bouncer on the Greek island of Mykonos last month, leaving his parents Oliver and Rosemary to make the decision to turn off his life support, The Australian reports.
Leading the service, the Fr Michael Smith told friends and relatives at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church at Horsley Park, Doujon was heading for the "endless party" in heaven.
"He loved to party. This is one endless party," Fr Smith said. "Possibly heaven will never be the same again."
Mr Zammit's cousin, Cameron Tabone, 20, of Blakehurst, whose nose and wrist were broken in the same attack, wept as he paid tribute to his cousin's infectious love of life and individuality.
"He aspired to great things and had big dreams," Mr Tabone said. "He had a love for life that infected everyone who met him.
Fr Smith said the decision of Doujon's father, Oliver, to donate his son's organs had saved the lives of four people and would inspire others to follow his example.
"It was hard," Mr Zammit told the Daily Telegraph. "I wanted to bring him back whole to his mother."
Mr Zammit said he and his wife had talked to each of their children about whether they wanted to be organ donors, and Doujon had always been adamant that he wanted his organs donated to others.
"It was incredibly hard and it was incredibly emotional but I couldn't go against my son's wishes. This is what he wanted," he said.
"It was on his licence and we had all talked about it. It's a hard decision as a parent to make but why should my son have any less rights after his death than he had in life, this is what he chose and we had to respect that."
The selfless decision of the Cecil Hills 20 year old and his family saved the lives of three Greeks and a Greek-Australian journalist but prevented his mother Rosemarie from saying a final goodbye.
Doujon was bashed by bouncers on the Greek island of Mykonos on July 28 and he died 12 days ago in an Athens hospital when his life support was switched off.
The family had also considered bringing Doujon back to Australia where his mother and brothers Zeake, 19 and Laurent, 16 were.
"We thought about bringing him back on life support but then we were worried about what effects it would have legally on the case if he died in Australia, not in Greece, and we didn't want those thugs to get away with this," Mr Zammit said.
SOURCE
Doujon Zammit farewelled to 'endless party' in heaven (The Australian, 13/8/08)
Doujon's final act of love through organ donation (Daily Telegraph, 13/8/08)
Bashed Aussie tourist farewelled (Sydney Morning Herald, 13/8/08)