Teachers at Holy Cross High School in Hamilton donated £1300 to the organ donation service in memory of their former pupil Daryl Turley to help raise awareness of organ donation.
Sadly Daryl died after being hit by a motorbike as he crossed Bothwell Road, near Hamilton Racecourse in January 2009.
His mum Lily and dad Davy agreed to organ donation to help others. His heart, kidneys, liver and bowel were all transplanted, saving the lives of five people.
To help raise awareness of organ donation, Daryl’s teachers, led by former head teacher Danny Boyle, walked or cycled from the school to Yorkhill Hospital.
Lily said: “It was an absolutely fantastic gesture by Mr Boyle and the other teachers at Holy Cross and I want to thank them.
“It’s so important to raise awareness of organ donation in saving people’s lives and to encourage people to broach this subject with their loved ones.
“When I knew Daryl wasn’t coming back I didn’t want any other mum to go through the same thing.
“There are five people alive today because of Daryl Turley and I take great comfort from that.
“I want everyone to think about organ donation and to sign up to the register.”
Deputy head teacher at Holy Cross High School Maria Douglas said: “The teachers, led by Mr Boyle, wanted to do something for Daryl and for another pupil who had died that year.
“We were delighted to raise such a good sum which will help Organ Donation Scotland raise awareness of organ transplants and hopefully encourage everyone to sign up to the register.”
The money raised by the Holy Cross High teachers for Organ Donation Scotland went towards an educational day for pupils interested in careers in medicine.
At this event, held in Stirling in September, pupils from across Scotland participated in workshops run by professionals mainly from the hospital sector including intensive care, paediatrics, but also from the Procurator Fiscal Service and tissue services.
Also attending were people affected directly by organ transplants, including Lily and Cara Hearst, from Belfast, who received Daryl’s liver, to speak about their experiences with pupils.
Susan Hannah, NHS Lanarkshire’s specialist nurse in organ donation, said: “We wanted to do something that would help raise awareness of organ donation and help young people who are interested in a career within this field
“It’s important for people to speak about organ donation. Unfortunately sudden death does occur in the young as well as older people, but if families would speak about what they’d want to happen to their organs we can make it easier for everyone.
“The rate of organ donation registration in Lanarkshire is lower compared to other areas in Scotland and we are working to increase awareness which could help to increase these numbers.
“I’d like to thank Holy Cross High School for their donation, the professionals who kindly gave their time and for all the pupils who came along to learn about organ donation and the associated careers in this area.”
Holy Cross sixth year pupils Laura Thomson and Caitlin Murphy both attended the organ donation careers event.
Laura, 16, from Uddingston, said: “It was fabulous with a wide range of people involved in the field of transplantation and people who had experienced organ donation first hand.
“For someone who is interested in a medical career, the day was invaluable and a real eye-opener to what is involved in organ donation.”
Caitlin, 17, from Bothwell, added: “The conference was really enlightening and you got a great insight into how complicated organ donation is fore the people working in this area.
“This event really encouraged me to pursue a career in medicine so it has definitely been worthwhile.”