David Mason (art dealer)
David Mason OBE is a London art dealer and Thalidomide parent activist. He is the parent of a daughter, Louise, disabled by Thalidomide.
Mason alone refused the initial offered settlement of £3 million by Distillers Company, as a result of which he and his daughter suffered harassment and ostracism. His daughter was removed from his care, due to action by his solicitors and other parents supporting settlement, who believed he was not acting in her best interests by refusing settlement. He launched an appeal, which was successful due to evidence of a more substantial settlement in the USA ($2.7m to Shirley McCarrick in Los Angeles); finally, a Sunday Times story prompted Jack Ashley MP to take up the case in parliament, and Ralph Nader to organise a boycott of Distillers products in the USA. Distillers increased the offer to £5m and then £20m, which was accepted. The settlement is credited with transforming the lives of British thalidomide victims.
The Thalidomide Trust is now largely funded by Diageo, who bought Distillers and its assets and liabilities.
Mason wrote a book, Thalidomide: My Fight, published in 1976.
References
- A battle won late, The Independent, August 25, 1997
- Thalidomide: The Fifty Year Fight, BBC, May 15, 2014 (review in the Daily Telegraph)
- Effects of Thalidomide "were horrific", BBC News, May 15, 2014
- Thalidomide victim tells of childhood abuse, Birmingham Mail, March 1, 2009
- Justice must be absolute, Jack Ashley, The Guardian, February 10, 2009