I don’t know how we will cope without our Andrea
Mum’s heartbreak over sudden death of popular nurse
THE heartbroken mum of a Scots nurse who died in her sleep says she doesn’t know how their family will cope without her.
Andrea MacDonald, 32, passed away while staying at a friend’s house in Inverness on Thursday night.
Her mum Allison, from Fort William, described her daughter as a “very special, unique and wonderful girl” who was the “kindest soul you’d ever meet”.
Her cause of her death has not been established.
Allison told the Daily Record: “It’s just unbelievable, I don’t even know how to put into words how we feel.
“Her dad Peter and I had only been up visiting her the previous weekend and had a great time.
“We are j ust devastated and utterly heartbroken. We don’t know how we will cope without her.”
Andrea was extremely close to her family, and her loss left brother Martin, sisters Victoria and Iona and nine-yearold niece Niamh numb with grief.
Allison said: “The four of them were like magnets, they were very close.
“Andrea was like a second mum to Iona’s daughter Niamh.
She was the kindest soul you’d ever meet ALLISON MacDONALD ON DAUGHTER ANDREA
She was a massive part of her life.
“Ni amh has texted Andrea and said, ‘ I know you can’t see this but I just want to tell you I miss you.’ “It’s just heartbreaking.” Andrea had been working as a nurse for 10 years, first in a community role at the Belford Hospital in Fort William.
She worked for the last six years at the high dependency unit at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
She also loved gardening, baking, walks with her dad, photography and was a muchloved manager at an Inverness social enterprise cafe attached to her local church.
Allison said: “Nursing was truly her passion, she absolutely loved it and just wanted to help people.
“That’s what she was like, she was the kindest soul you’d ever meet and always put others before herself.
“We knew about her involvement with the church and cafe, we always went in for a bowl of her soup and her cake when we were up.
“We knew how popular she was but we didn’t realise just how many people she had touched. We are very, very proud of her.”