Hospital activist dies in ward she saved

A HOSPITAL campaigner has died in the same ward she helped fight to save in West Lothian.

Marion Mackay, 47, was a founding member of the Action to Save St John's Party, which campaigns to retain and add services to the Livingston hospital.

She had been battling ill health for several years, and passed away in the hospital's kidney unit.

Her family said she was a modest individual who did not like a fuss made of her, adding that the three things she cared most about in life were her family, her dog Flynn and St John's Hospital and all its associated services.

Although reluctant to speak publicly, she worked hard behind the scenes for the campaign group and wrote many newsletters and bulletins for it.

Her funeral took place last week.

Ellen Glass, a councillor for Action to Save St John's, worked closely with Ms Mackay from the outset. She said: "She had lived with ill health for most of her life. It started off with Crohn's disease.

"She was also getting dialysis but none of that would stop her coming to the meetings.

"She was a fighter - she started everything off with the party and when she passed away it was a sad day for us.

"Right up until the end she wanted to keep going, but her little body couldn't do it any more.

"She was a resident of St John's by the end, which was just as well because she hated the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

"It was fitting that she got to be in the kidney unit she helped fight to save."