DONALD'S FINAL WISH; The man who gave his all for Scotland leaves his organs to save others.

DONALD DEWAR devoted his life to helping others and made sure he would keep helping in death.

Scotland's First Minister died yesterday from a brain haemorrhage aged 63, having left orders that his organs be used for transplant.

It was typical kindness from a selfless man. As the events of the last two days show all too clearly, Dewar always put the nation's health before his own.

He was pronounced dead at 12.18pm in the brain unit of Edinburgh's Western General Hosp-ital, where he was taken on Tuesday evening after falling ill at work.

Son Ian and daughter Marion made the awful decision to release him from a living death.

But amid their anguish, they must have been at least a little proud that he died where he always wanted to be - in his country's service.

And they were happy that his organs could be used to ease the suffering of others.

Dewar died almost exactly 24 hours after the fall outside his official residence that is thought to have triggered the bleeding in his brain.

Medical staff began contacting other hospitals to check on where donors were needed. The organs will be given anonymously.

One close friend said: "It is what Donald wanted. And it is so fitting that this be done after he gave his life in the service of others."

So in the coming days, someone may be given a new life and new hope. But there was only grief yesterday as friends, family and colleagues waited for the inevitable bad news.

The man who must now fill Dewar's shoes, Lib-Dem Jim Wallace, arrived at his office in St Andrews House before 8am.

Within hours, he had gone from Deputy First Minister to Acting First Minister.

One of the leading contenders to take the job permanently, enterprise minister Henry McLeish, followed soon after Wallace. By last night, he was Labour's official spokesman in Scotland.

Soon, almost the whole Cabinet was there - McLeish's leadership rival Jack McConnell, Tom McCabe, Sarah Boyack, Sam Galbraith.

The day must have been particularly hard for Wendy Alexander, one of the youngest ministers. She had been closest of all to Dewar and was losing her mentor.

Insiders said there was no place among the ministers for petty politics. They were shocked, in pain, and relying on each other for support.

At 10.40am, Ian, 33, and Marion, 35, arrived together at the hospital.

Marion was red-eyed and tearful as she was helped from the car by her partner William Mann and Dewar's special adviser David Whitton. Her brother was near tears.

Ian had travelled from London on Tuesday evening after a phone call from a shocked Whitton, and had been with his father during the night. But he insisted no decision on the life support could be made without his sister.

He left briefly in the morning in an official car to meet Marion off a flight from her home in Brussels.

They were greeted at the hospital by consultant surgeon James Steer, who told them Dewar's brain damage could not be repaired.

There had never been any hope of surgery saving him. He was already brain dead.

The children spent 90 minutes closeted with Mr Steer, and asked for a final test to ensure there was no activity in their father's brain.

It was carried out shortly after noon, and soon after that the First Minister was pronounced dead.

Both children spent a short time alone with the body, saying goodbye to a loving dad who could not hear them.

At 2.10pm, Whitton gave the news to the people. He said: "It is with deep sadness that we have to report that Scotland's First Minister, Donald Dewar, has died.

"Scotland has lost a great man.

"He was visited by his daughter Marion and his son Ian today and after discussions with his consultant the decision was taken to turn off his life support system.

"The cause of death was a brain haemorrhage.

"I could sum it up by saying he was the best First Minister Scotland could have had."

Although Dewar was clinically dead, his life support machine remained on so his organs could function and remain fit for transplant. It was finally turned off at 2.40pm.

Ian and Marion thanked the doctors and nurses before leaving together for their father's official residence, Bute House.

They were expected to stay there while funeral arrangements got under way. Whitton was on hand to offer his support.

Flowers and gifts arrived at Bute House throughout the evening.Ian and Marion thanked well-wishers for their kindness. But in typical Dewar family fashion, they asked people to use their grief to achieve something more positive.

Whitton emerged from the house to say: "The family appreciate the fact people want to do that. But they would rather they gave a donation to the British Heart Foundation or to the charity of their choice."

Dewar had open heart surgery earlier this year. But typically, he was soon back at work.

As the family comforted each other, so did the Cabinet.

They met briefly at 3pm to confirm Wallace as Acting First Minister. There was no talk of a permanent succession, only of mourning.

Two hours later, presiding officer Lord Steel announced that the Scottish Parliament will open specially at 2pm on Friday so MSPs can pay their respects.

But all Scotland, not just the great and the good, was grieving. The shockwaves spread as far as Croatia, where our footballers wore black armbands for their World Cup qualifying game.

It was one of many signs which showed how Scotland really regarded Donald Dewar - as a genuine man, an honest man, a true hero and servant of the people.