Yvonne McArthur has raised £2,000 in honour of her late husband Hugh and is donating the sum to the Institute of Neurological Science at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow.
Hugh was treated at the Institute after suffering a severe brain haemorrhage at work. He was 50 at the time and leaves 3 teenagers, Heather, Andrew and Grace.
He regained consciousness and was on the road to recovery but 4 weeks later, he suffered another brain haemorrhage and later passed away.
Yvonne suggested to friends and family to donate in Hugh’s memory rather than send flowers and wreaths and there was a collection at the funeral. Hugh’s colleagues and friends at Glasgow-based Hulley & Kirkwood also donated the proceeds of their Christmas Jumper Day in memory of Hugh.
Yvonne said: “We couldn’t fault the care Hugh received from the whole team at the Institute of Neurosciences, from all the staff in the Intensive Therapy Unit and Ward 64. Our consultant Michael Canty in particular has given us so much support and provided us with a clear understanding of what was happening at each step of the process.
“We can’t help Hugh anymore but this donation will hopefully make a difference to someone else.”
The £2,000 donation will go to a research team at the Institute of Neurological Science which aims to improve the management of acutely brain-injured patients and other neurosurgical patients. They use tools such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and computational methods to help analyse complex physiological data.
Michael Canty, Consultant Neurosurgeon, said: “Unfortunately brain haemorrhages like the one that affected Hugh can be devastating. Sometimes, despite all the care modern medicine can provide, the injury to the brain is too severe to recover from.
“We are incredibly thankful to Yvonne for her donation, and are humbled by the generosity of Hugh’s family and friends. This will help take our research forward as we aim to improve the care and management of patients in a similar situation.”