Lochaber locals continue paramedic's lifesaving legacy

Last week, the Inverness team welcomed a group of donors to the Nevis Centre in Fort William who came together to give blood in memory of Scott Anderson who passed away unexpectedly in May.

Scott, who'd been a paramedic in Mallaig but later moved to Cumbernauld had been a blood donor but later relied on the generosity of blood donors himself when diagnosed with sepsis in 2020. Scott’s wife, Michelle, explained, 'After a cut on Scott’s leg became infected, he contracted sepsis and later relied on transfusions as part of his treatment'.

Michelle, who was the first to roll up her sleeve on the day, said, 'I received a message from our friend Jenny Willens, not long after Scott passed away. She'd really wanted to do something special that would bring us all together in Scott's memory. What made it even more special is that Jenny's managed to organise the whole event, despite knowing that she’d be unable to donate herself due to health reasons. She never let it stop her from getting involved.'

Having travelled all the way from North Lanarkshire to give her donation alongside the group, Michelle continued, 'I know Scott would have been really overwhelmed that so many people made such a special effort to come along and do their bit today. It's testament to him that so many donations have been made and that so many lives have been saved and improved in his honour.'

'I'd donated quite regularly up until 2020 but had fallen out of the habit, like so many,' explained Michelle. 'I really hope that by sharing our story and showing just how easy it is to get involved and make a difference, it might just be enough motivation to encourage other people to either pick up the phone or go online to get themselves booked in. It's such a special thing to be able to do for someone.'

Also attending with the group was Megan Kennedy Ross, a previous colleague of Michelle, who said, 'Giving blood is something I'd always meant to do but never got around to doing. My own mum needed a transfusion after giving birth to me, so it's nice to be able to give something back on behalf of my own families experience and in memory of Scott. You just never know when you or a loved one could be affected.'

As a paramedic, Scott gave hope to many when they needed it most. We can't think of a more fitting tribute to Scott than to continue giving hope to others in his memory. On behalf of all the team at SNBTS, thank you to Scott's family, friends and colleagues who came to show their support.

• Are you keen to arrange a group booking? Contact us online or give us a call on 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) to find out more.