THE sign is blue and bright, and the words are straight to the point.
“Never Give Up” is the message 11-year-old Scarlett Dougan wanted included in the redesigned operating theatres at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children.
It sums up this West End schoolgirl, who had lifesaving heart surgery when she was a baby, just metres away from where the new sign now sits.
Scarlett, who lives in Broomhill with her parents Nichola and Peter, brothers Nathaniel, 13 and Philip, nine, and sister Delilah, four, has hypoplastic right heart syndrome, where the right side of the heart is under-developed, affecting the flow of oxygen around the body.
Scarlett and fellow former patient Riley MacLennan from Inverness, whose cancer is now in remission thanks to a life-saving stem cell transplant, were invited back to the hospital to mark an important milestone.
The duo helped paediatric cardiac anaesthetist Dr Alyson Walker officially open the first phase of the £1m Theatre Improvement Initiative, a pioneering programme designed to transform the experience of young patients and their families within operating theatres.
Dr Walker, who has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the project, said: “For children, parents and caregivers, visiting the operating theatre can be a daunting experience.
"We wanted to transform our theatre environment into one filled with empathy so that children, their families and staff will feel calmer and more welcomed. A more empathic environment will lead to less anxiety, greater satisfaction, less emergence delirium, less post-op nausea and vomiting and less pain relief requirements.”
The £1m initiative included renovation of the reception area and the creation of the Wee Room, a peaceful sanctuary where parents and carers can “take a moment.”
Nichola admits returning to the operating theatres was “very emotional”.
“I don’t think it really hit me until I was standing there,” she says. “The last time I was in that room, I was handing over my daughter to the surgeons.
“The transformation is incredible. It was so clinical before, it's much more human now. And I think the more distractions the better for a child, and parents, in that situation.”
She pauses. “Those days were so challenging - the worst days of my life.”
Since Scarlett’s first operation, Nichola and her husband Peter have organised an annual fundraising ball for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and the British Heart Foundation. This year, it is taking place in the Crowne Plaza Hotel on November 4.
“This is the 10th ball, and it feels like a huge milestone,” says Nichola, who is a teacher.
“Our first one was a chance to say thank you to all those who supported us during Scarlett's diagnosis and first open heart surgery. We were blown away by the generosity of our friends, family and local businesses and so many people asked us when the next one was, it turned into an annual event.”
She adds, smiling: “Because it’s the 10th anniversary, this year will be a bit special.”
Around 300 people from all over the country are coming to this year’s event, which includes a sparkling reception, a three-course meal, games, a raffle and auction, live music, pizza at midnight and a DJ until 2am.
Money raised will help support families and fund research. There is no cure for Scarlett’s condition.
“Scarlett is amazing, she is well, and she copes really well,” says her proud mum. “We have been told she will need a heart transplant, probably around her late teens.
“People ask us all the time – so, is she on the waiting list? But she’s not, because she doesn’t need to be. If a heart was to become available, for a child who needed it right now, it’s right they should get it.”
Moving up to high school has been a huge milestone for the family, says Nichola.
“At her P7 leavers’ service, there were lots of emotions going on,” she admits. “I was looking at all the parents watching their wee ones and knowing they were thinking ‘oh, what’s next for them, and what will this next chapter be?’
“It hit me right then that we don’t know what the next chapter will be for Scarlett.”
She adds: “One day, her heart will start to fail That’s when she will go on the transplant list, and we will deal with that day when it comes.
“That’s why we have been fundraising for the last 10 years – and why, when we are asked to do things like this, like cutting the ribbon, we don’t hesitate. It’s a way of saying thank you to the hospital for keeping Scarlett alive, and, hopefully, of changing the future for her, and for others like her.”
If you can donate a prize for Scarlett’s Ball, or if you can help in other ways with fundraising, email Nichola at scarlettfund@hotmail.co.uk
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