Inverurie family light up landmarks for charity's 60th anniversary
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Local and national landmarks were lit up red to mark the British Heart Foundation's 60th anniversary.
The event was organised by Inverurie mother and daughter Mags and Jade McWilliam.
The family has been helped by the charity as Jade (20) was born 10 weeks premature with a congenital heart condition and had a cardiac arrest when she was just 15 days old.
She had to undergo life saving surgery and at the time, weighing only 2lbs 2ozs, she was believed to be the smallest baby in the UK to survive open heart surgery.
Over the years, Jade has required further surgeries but has never let having a congenital heart condition hold her back. She is currently studying at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, training to become a nurse.
Landmarks and buildings in the Inverurie area and across the country were lit up red on Wednesday, July 28, to celebrate six decades of life saving research into heart and circulatory diseases.
These included Kintore Arms Hotel; Kintore Parish Church; Pittodrie Stadium; Aberdeen's Marischal College; Aberdeen Arts Centre; Fraserburgh West Parish Church; Arbroath Signal Tower museum; Arbroath Water Tower; Stotfold Football Club in Bedfordshire, England; Ness Bridge in Inverness; Stornoway Town Hall; Balmoral Clock Tower in Edinburgh; Camera Obscura in Edinburgh; Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow; Falkirk Wheel; and The Kelpies.
Mags McWilliam said: "Myself and Jade managed to organise various landmarks to light up red for the British Heart Foundation's 60th birthday "It would not have been possible without the help of Reg Gove the director of Lightfolio and Mark Copland director of Fireworx Scotland, heartfelt thanks to you both.
"Also a huge thank you to Derek Clarke, Neil Hardie and Angus Cameron for your help. To all who agreed to light up. My brilliant fundraising manager Lyndsay Anderson for agreeing to our idea.
"It was great to raise awareness of coronary heart disease and what the British Heart Foundation do."
The BHF is the biggest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in Scotland and the UK.
Over the past 60 years, it has been instrumental in numerous life saving discoveries. Its research has contributed to the first UK heart transplant, the development of pacemakers, the use of clot busting drugs to treat heart attacks, and the rollout of genetic testing for inherited heart conditions.
In the 1950s, the majority of babies diagnosed with a complex congenital heart condition in the UK died before their first birthday.
Today, thanks to research, more than eight out of 10 babies with congenital heart disease grow up to be adults. In Scotland around 30 babies a month are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.
Over the years, Jade and her family have given up their time to raise awareness of the work of the BHF and helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for life saving research.
They’ve also given talks to schools and businesses and helped organise large scale CPR teaching sessions.
Heart and circulatory diseases cause around 50 deaths each day in Scotland - with one in eight of these of working age. Across Scotland an estimated 700,000 people are living with the burden of these conditions.
The BHF supports more than 300 research staff in institutions across Scotland, including at the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee and St Andrews and at the BHF’s Centres of Research Excellence at the University of Glasgow and the University of Edinburgh.
But the last year has been one of the most challenging in the charity's history. Funding for new research in 2020/21 had to be cut in half because of the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and it said it needs the public’s support now more than ever.
James Jopling, head of BHF Scotland, said: “We are so thankful for the support of the McWilliam family and it is wonderful to see so many people across the country joining us to celebrate our 60th birthday. And we’re not ready to stop yet.
"Since the BHF was established, our research and campaigning have contributed to the annual number of people dying from heart and circulatory diseases in this country falling by half. This is something we can be extremely proud of.
"But we want to do more and with the public’s help and generosity, we are determined to do so.”
To find out more about the work of the BHF visit www.bhf.org.uk
Related story: Inverurie family supporting British Heart Foundation 60th anniversary event
