Equipment donated to police in memory of teenager
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LIFE-saving equipment is being made available to police in Ross-shire thanks to a donation from a couple who lost their son in a road accident.
Sandra and Gordon McKandie’s son Keiran was 16 when he was in collision with a car while cycling near Craigend in Moray in 2016. Since his death, his parents have fundraised in his honour and donated defibrillators to officers in the north-east. The devices have been deployed 39 times and been credited with saving at least one life.
The McKandies, who are from Moray, have now started rolling out the scheme in the Highlands with the latest batch of defibrillators installed in police vehicles in Dingwall, which is the base for the region’s road traffic department.
"Hopefully this will create integration of emergency response," Mrs McKandie said.
"Now that the police have got this equipment they will be able to take action when people are in a life-threatening situation. It will give people a better chance of survival.
"If it saves someone’s life it’s absolutely worth it and to allow Keiran to contribute is our biggest aim.
"People talk about us being brave but that’s not the case. It’s very, very hard every day but it’s about allowing Keiran to continue to have an impact. He would have achieved so much in his life and this is a small part of allowing him to do that. It’s amazing what Keiran has done but it doesn’t compensate for him not being here."
Road policing chief inspector Stewart Mackie said: "We are very grateful to the McKandie family for their generous gift. The defibrillators will now be placed in all the road policing vehicles in the Highlands. It gives us an extra tool so that if we are called to an incident, we have an opportunity to save lives."
