THE RENAL unit at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary has welcomed a donation from the friends and colleagues of a former patient, Jim Cowan.

His widow Carrie presented the cheque for £535.25 to the staff of the renal unit who had looked after Jim for 22 years since his renal failure diagnosis in 2001, including supporting him through two kidney transplants.

Jim’s colleagues at Matalan raised the money in his memory through tabletop sales after his sad death earlier this year.

Carrie Cowan said: “I would like to thank everyone who took part in raising the money for this donation – it is overwhelming to see how much they have done.

“One thing that Jim and I found difficult was food. We had plenty of information on what he could not have, but it was not easy to find things that were definitely safe and easy to cook.  Jim had to get used to double-boiled potatoes and steamed chicken. So one of the ways this donation will be put to use is to buy cookery books specially written for people with kidney failure or on dialysis – and the books will be labelled with Jim’s name, which I think is a wonderful way to remember him.”

Nick Mitchell, operational manager for Dumfries and Galloway Health Board Endowment Fund, said: “We are all extremely grateful to Carrie and to all Jim’s friends and colleagues for their work in raising this extremely generous donation.

“The renal unit provides care for people with renal failure and other conditions across Dumfries and Galloway, and they will often care for the same person for years or decades – as was the case for Jim.

“Living with renal failure is a real challenge and anything that can make life easier is always incredibly valuable.”