Surgeon to save lives at sea
A RETIRED cancer specialist is now helping to save lives at sea instead of in the operating theatre.
A RETIRED maxillofacial specialist born in Campbeltown, with salt in his veins, has joined an RNLI lifeboat crew.
Ken Lavery, 67, is the third generation of his family to help those in peril at sea – his grandfather, Charlie Durnin, and great grandfather served in the Campbeltown lifeboat between about 1880 and 1920.
After a lifetime in the operating theatre as a celebrated head and neck cancer consultant, Mr Lavery retired to Lyme Regis, West Dorset, and has just joined the RNLI team as a deputy launching authority (DLA).
He is no stranger to the sea, being a qualified yachtmaster and has owned a number of sailing yachts, all named Bluebird after his granddad’s fishing vessel CN125.
Mr Lavery said: ‘Latterly we owned a Bene- teau Oceanis which I sailed with my sons Ross and Guy.
‘I was born at Craigard maternity hospital in 1949. I return to Campbeltown every year to see my mum who will be 90 this year, my auntie and my retired sister.’
When Mr Lavery was 10, in 1959, his dad moved to Corby in Northamptonshire, where many west coasters found work through Stewarts and Lloyds a steel tube manufacturer.
At first it was tough adapting to his new surroundings after the space of Kintyre and he said that his teachers could not understand the west coast accent.
Inspiration
Mr Lavery passed his 11 plus and entered Corby grammar school where a teacher named Mr Kemp, later to become head at Gordonstoun, proved a great inspiration and was determined that all who were able would meet their potential.
Mr Lavery returned to Scotland in his late teens and studied dentistry and medicine at the university of Dundee. He trained at various major maxillofacial units before becoming a consultant and eventually medical director at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.
That unit became famous, in the Second World War, for the pioneering work of early plastic surgeon New Zealander Archie McIndoe and his ‘guinea pigs,’ who had all suffered very deep burns and serious facial disfigurement.
Mr Lavery said: ‘I spent all my days working in specialist plastic and reconstructive surgery in McIndoe’s operating theatre, which was number four.’
Mr Lavery met his wife, Krys, at the hospital where she was a senior ward sister.
He said: ‘My wife retired a bit before me and as she was a Dorset girl she wanted to go back to the sea.
‘Krys manages the team of volunteers running Lyme Regis’ RNLI charity shop.
‘Lyme Regis is a bit like Campbeltown. I was always around the shop and met most of the lifeboat crew. Eventually someone said they were short of DLAs. I am thoroughly enjoying my involvement with a dedicated team once again.’