A fundraising effort by Peggy Whites filling station in Newhouse, Motherwell to pay for a community defibrillator has smashed its target and will be used to pay for even more equipment.
Tragically, the site had an incident where a loyal customer, Alexander McCrae, suffered a heart attack while on the forecourt and, despite the best efforts of all those around, he died.
After speaking with his family, Peggy Whites staff decided to fundraise for an AED (automated external defibrillator) so that if another incident occurred the person involved has a better chance of surviving. When installed the device will be marked with a dedication plaque to Mr McCrae.
The fundraising target was £2,099 but due to massive support from the friends and family of Mr McCrae, the total currently sits at £3,445. This means a community AED can be installed at the Peggy Whites forecourt and there will be money left over for another fixed unit or portable units.
In a statement on the fundraising page, Mr McCrae’s family said: “We all loved him dearly and he will never be forgotten. We urge everyone to donate to help towards this fund. He went out in the morning and never came home. He would have been happy to know no one else dies if they could be saved and that their family don’t feel the same pain.”
