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Highland nurse battled the beast and raised thousands for Inverness hospital

Jackie McKay and Stuart Hickie with the donated bike, just one of the many items that Jackie bought for the ward.
Jackie McKay and Stuart Hickie with the donated bike, just one of the many items that Jackie bought for the ward.

A woman from Wick has pushed herself to unprecedented heights to raise money for Morar Ward at New Craigs Hospital in Inverness.

Jackie McKay took part in this year’s “Beast Race”, a 10k obstacle course on the banks of Loch Ness and, after initially hoping to raise £700 for the unit, was amazed to muster £2,500.

She said: “A close family member is affected by a mental health illness which has had a huge impact on my life and that of my family.

“I have witnessed the turmoil and the trauma my family member has to go through and the stigma people with mental illness have to face.

“Mental illness is not like a physical illness: you can’t see it. It affects the way you think, feel and behave and there is no quick fix.

“Depending on the type and severity of illness, patients can be detained in a ward environment for weeks, or months at a time, 24 hours a day. An average admission could be 3-6 months or sometimes up to a year.”

The Beast Race is described as “a leg-numbing 10k through dense forest, undergrowth, heather and bog, on rough dirt tracks” and is not for the faint-hearted.

But Jackie, who is a staff nurse based at Caithness General Hospital in Wick, found herself enjoying the event.

She added: “I was a couch potato as far as exercise was concerned, but I signed up with personal trainer Kris Hamilton at Hamilton Optimum Training a few years ago.

“I didn’t get much training in before the Beast Race as I was travelling and staying in Inverness from January to July so, deep down, I was dreading the event, but was determined I was going to do it.

“There were 70 of us from Team H.O.T. taking part and I went round with my friend and work colleague Mary Thain.

“We had brilliant fun and encouraged each other along the way. I felt quite emotional at the finish, it was a personal achievement, something I thought I would never do and I was helping others with my fundraising.”

Following discussions with hospital staff, it was agreed the money will be used to buy items to help alleviate boredom, aid relaxation, and provide extra comforts within the ward environment.

Stuart Hickie, staff nurse at New Craigs Hospital, responded: “On behalf of the team at Morar Ward, I would like to offer Jackie the sincerest message of gratitude for the generosity and commitment shown to raise money which will be used to enhance our service and will directly benefit patients in care.

“I admire Jackie’s personal achievement in completing the Beast Race and I would like to thank everybody that supported her.

“Public attitudes towards mental health have shown great improvements in recent years. However, there remains more work to be done and I believe that shared experiences such as Jackie’s will help end the problem of mental health stigma and discrimination.”