AN ALLOA family is at the heart of a new sculpture unveiled at Forth Valley Hospital which aims to recognise the heroic contributions that organ donors make.
The floating art project has been opened in the hospital’s atrium and features 366 names of recipients of life-saving organ donations.
Officially unveiled on Monday, September 23, the sculpture includes a signature per each day of the year, including leap years, as part of a cloud.
Included in the cloud is the name of Graeme McCusker, a lifelong Alloa resident who donated his lungs after he passed away in 2020.
His mum Irene McCusker explained that she was sold on the project as soon as she heard about it, hoping it is a fitting tribute to Graeme’s donation.
She said: “My niece is a midwife at Forth Valley Royal Hospital and she told me about the sculpture.
“I was really pleased to be involved, it gave me something to focus on at that point.”
Graeme had lived with his mother in Alloa since he was three years old, growing up to work as a kilt hire manager in a small department store.
Later in his life, Graeme’s health began to deteriorate and he suffered from a seizure which he was unable to fully recover from.
Irene performed CPR to keep him alive until the paramedics arrived, managing to restart his heart but unfortunately, he never regained consciousness.
Tests revealed he had suffered too much brain damage from the seizure, leading to him being kept alive by a ventilator for six days.
Doctors spoke to Irene about organ donation, which Graeme was always very passionate about, wanting to use his body to help others after he was gone, which Irene agreed to.
Graeme passed away on Friday, September 4, surrounded by his mum, brother Stuart and sister Mhairi.
Graeme’s lungs were donated to one recipient, which went onto save his life. His kidneys were given to another two recipients and he also donated eye tissue.
Irene went on: “I know some families feel like it might be damaging their loved one, but they’re gone.
“All that remains is a shell and it’s a lovely feeling to know that a part of Graeme is living on and befitting someone else.”
Nearly six months later, Irene received a letter from one Stephen Hake, the man who had received Graeme’s lungs.
He had sent her a handmade card, thanking Graeme for his donation and letting her know that he is now capable of doing so much now including golf.
Together, they signed their names and added Graeme’s, immortalising his legacy on the sculpture.
She added: “It was very emotional to receive Stephen’s card but reading what it meant to him and the difference it had made to his life really lifted my spirits that dark winter’s day.
“I told Stephen about the sculpture so he could also submit his name, and I am hoping to arrange to meet him in person so that we view the new sculpture together.”
The sculpture has been designed by Hans K Clausen and has been entitled Everyone Everyday Evermore.
A ceremony was held to open the sculpture, officially unveiled by Jane Hall, member of NHS Forth Valley’s Organ Donation Committee.
Jane had lost her husband to a brain haemorrhage and donated his kidneys, heart, liver and pancreas to a donor.
Jane added: “Organ donation was the easiest decision I made that day because we had conversations as a family.
“I am very proud of George – his kidneys, heart, liver and pancreas saved the lives of others.
“This is not just a memorial for the donors and recipients, but a reminder that people are about today because of the choices they made, because of the conversations they had with loved ones.”
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