Family and friends raise money in memory of Bothwell girl Caitlin

Nov 5 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

RELATIVES and friends of a Bothwell girl who died last year at the age of just 12 have raised more than £2000 in her memory.

Equipment bought with cash raised by the youngsters’ activities was last week presented to Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital, where Caitlin O’Neill was treated before she passed away last November.

Caitlin, a first-year pupil at Hamilton’s Holy Cross High School, had suffered from a rare liver condition known as OTC.

Her friends felt the best way to remember the schoolgirl was to help the hospital that cared for her. The fundraising activities took place between December and March. Donations were also made by Tesco Coatbridge.

Yorkhill Hospital staff nurse Emma McGinley said: “It was a pleasure to be involved in looking after Caitlin while she was in hospital. She was so lovely and such fun, even when she wasn’t feeling well.

“We miss her very much and think of her and her family a lot. The gifts received today are greatly appreciated and will be put to good use.”

Caitlin’s cousins Melissa McDade and Stephanie McDade, her sister Laura O’Neill and friend Mhairi Ward - who all attended St Bride’s Primary School with her - raised £1000 by selling bracelets they made themselves from elastic and beads.

The sum of £1300 was raised by friends at Holy Cross High School, who packed bags at Hamilton’s Morrisons supermarket for a day.

A family member said this week: “We are just so proud of these children and what they have achieved for Yorkhill Hospital.

“We’d also like to thank Morrisons in Hamilton and Tesco in Coatbridge for their help with the fundraising.”

The cash was used to buy an array of equipment for the hospital’s ward 7A, including eight 17-in televisions with DVD, Freeview and iPod dock; eight portable DVD players; eight DVD accessory packs and 31 DVDs.

In addition, Tesco in Coatbridge donated a 17-in flatscreen TV, a portable DVD player, a DVD player accessory pack and four DVDs.

Items bought with cash raised by the bag-packing included Walkmans, headphones, CDs and XBox games.

The remainder of the cash raised was donated to a number of Lanarkshire charities and organisations.

They are: Holy Cross High School Buddy Club (£100), Carluke High School Buddy Club (£100), St Andrew’s Hospice (£100).

A garden set up by pupils of St Bride’s Primary School in Bothwell in Caitlin’s memory received £50.