Dr Lyon’s faith brought hospice idea to reality

I was delighted to read about Strathcarron Hospice’s 35th birthday celebration in last week’s Stirling Observer.

My husband Rev Ian Paterson and I were in the group which Dr Harold Lyon called together in 1975 to float the idea of such a thing.

He had been greatly inspired by the wonderful work of Dame Cicely Saunders in setting up hospice work at St Christopher’s in London and thought that Forth Valley could well do with something of the same, but when we heard of the enormous sums likely to be involved and the fact that at that time the NHS was unlikely to be able to contribute much in the way of funding, we all thought he was crazy in some ways!

However, he was a man of faith and believed it could be done, so the very first coffee morning to raise money for the stamps on the letters which were to go to all potential donors was held in our home which then was in Kenilworth Road, Bridge of Allan.

We awoke to feet of snow on the due day but about 20 folk struggled up and we raised around £30. From then on the whole enterprise never looked back and was considerably helped by Dr. Lyon’s own wife, Jean, tackling the local fundraising almost single handed at first, by selling bars of Nestle’s chocolate!

It went from strength to strength until eventually Randolph Hill was bought and the rest, as they say, is history.

When my own brother became terminally ill in 2001 he spent the last week of his life there and I therefore had cause to be ashamed of doubting that it would take off when Dr Lyon – an amazing man – first broached the idea all those years before. What a help it was that John could end his days in the comfort and compassionate care he experienced there.

Lorna Paterson by e-mail