Members of a Greenock family scaled the UK’s highest peak to raise money to say thank you for their mother’s care following a heart transplant at NHS Golden Jubilee.

Jenna Cochrane, her partner Shannon Morrison, brother Ian and friends John McAllister, Lisa Boyle and Stuart Mullen climbed Ben Nevis in Fort William and raised £1,645 from their adventure.

The money will go to the heart failure service at NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank, where mum Pearl (Margaret) Thompson received her heart transplant.

The service at NHS Golden Jubilee is responsible for providing advanced heart failure therapies to patients throughout Scotland, from the Borders to the Shetland Islands.

Pearl (57) was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy in 2019 following bouts of breathlessness and was placed on the heart transplant list 2 years later.

Image (L-R): Jenna Cochrane, Ian Cochrane, John McAllister, Lisa Boyle, Stuart Mullen, Shannon Morrison.

Jenna said: “At first we thought my mum’s symptoms were down to her having pleurisy, but then she was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and had to have a pacemaker fitted.

“She only had that for 6 months before she went on the transplant list and she was very lucky to receive a heart not long after that, so we are all extremely grateful.

“We wanted to give something back for the amazing care my mum received at the Golden Jubilee and to show our gratitude to the donor and their family whose choice has given my mum the gift of life.

“We would like to thank everyone who has helped our family on our journey and those who generously donated for our climb.”

The Golden Jubilee University National Hospital is Scotland’s flagship hospital, home of regional and national heart and lung services and Scotland’s only heart transplant centre.

Senior heart failure nurse and ward manager, Euan Darroch, said: “We would like to thank Jenna and her family for this extremely generous donation.

“We understand that being in hospital is a stressful time for patients and their families and donations like this are used to improve their hospital experience. It helps us continue to make a real difference to the lives of other patients and families through person-centred care.”

Image (L-R): Shannon Morrison, Lisa Boyle, Pearl Thompson, Carter Cochrane, Jenna Cochrane, Amiya Cochrane, Ian Cochrane, John McAllister.

Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt

This donation comes at the same time that a new campaign is underway to encourage more people to record their decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register and tell their loved ones too.

Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation, Alison Mitchell, who speaks to potential donor families following the death of a loved one, is urging people to ensure their families know about their organ donation decision.

She said: “Please tell your family and friends about your organ donation decision because if your loved ones know about your decision, it will make it easier for them to ensure it is honoured."

“Only 1% of people will die in a way that makes organ donation possible, which is usually in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU). There may also be opportunities to donate tissue such as heart valves, tendons and corneas, from within a hospital setting. If you’ve made your decision, please make it known.”

Everyone aged 16 or over has a choice – to be an organ and tissue donor, or to opt out.

If you choose to do nothing, then it will be assumed you agree to donate certain organs and tissue for transplantation, unless you are in a group for whom the opt out system doesn’t apply, or if donation would be against your views.

You can register your donation decision and find out more at www.organdonation.scot or call 0300 123 23 23.

For more information about the services available at NHS Golden Jubilee, visit: www.NHSGoldenJubilee.co.uk 

The Scottish Adult Congenital Cardiac Service (SACCS), Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Service (SNAHFS) and Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit (SPVU) are all based at NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank, providing specialist, quality treatments for patients across Scotland.

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