Pipe bands mass in Invergordon to help stroke victim
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PIPE bands will mass in Invergordon this evening (Saturday) to help a local man who has suffered a major stroke achieve his dream of getting back home.
The fundraiser, which will involve six Highland pipe bands, is in aid of father-of-three Sandy Finlayson who suffered a devastating stroke last September.
Since then Mr Finlayson (56), who is in a wheelchair, has been cared for in Invergordon County Hospital because the family home is no longer suitable for his needs.
But now there is nothing Mr Finlayson wants more than to get back to his house in Invergordon’s Westwood so he can start to live as normal a life as possible.
To that end a major £30,000 fundraising campaign is under way in the town to pay for alterations which are needed to his house.
On Saturday night, six local pipe bands together with Highland dancers will give their time and talents free to stage a "mini tattoo" to boost that target.
Mr Finlayson’s wife Yvonne said: "Sandy is paralysed down his left side and uses a wheelchair most of the time. He can walk about 20 metres with a stick but somebody has to help him because his balance is not good.
"His eyesight has also been affected and his short-term memory is poor. However, his speech is not affected."
Mrs Finlayson said their family home of 21 years wasn’t suitable for her husband’s new situation.
"Although we have one downstairs bedroom it is too small for both of us," she said.
"And Sandy can’t even use the wash-hand basin in the bathroom because we can’t get the wheelchair in.
"We very much want to stay here. Because of Sandy’s brain injury I feel it would help his recovery if he came back to the house he knows. Also my elderly parents live next door and I am able to keep an eye on them."
The hope is to build a new larger downstairs bedroom on their home along with a wet room with full wheelchair access.
Mrs Finlayson, a support assistant at Coulhill school in Alness, has visited her husband every day for the past year in his hospital ward, but said: "He’s fought hard and been doing very well but now he’s feeling a bit down.
"He told me the other day, ‘I’m just getting so fed up. I’m getting depressed in here’. We just want him home."
Local folks have so far raised £14,600 but they hope to push that total up even further tonight with a massed pipes and drums event in Invergordon High Street between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.
Bands taking part will be Royal Burgh of Tain, Ardross, Sutherland Caledonian, Sutherland Schools, Norcon (former Northern Constabulary) and Inverness Royal British Legion.
The event is the brainchild of Invergordon man Charlie Grant, Drum Major with the Royal Burgh of Tain Pipe Band.
Carlan Connon from Invergordon, who is in the same band, said: "Charlie has been the driving force behind this but we all thought it would be a good idea if we could do something with the pipe bands.
"There will be collections on the night and we hope lots of people come out to support Sandy. It will also be quite a spectacle for Invergordon with all the bands massing."
Supporting the event will be friends and family of the Finlaysons including their daughters Lianne (24) and Tammy (21). Son Craig (23) will miss the event as he is working offshore.
Also this evening, Mrs Finlayson and Mr Finlayson’s sister, Evelyn Macleod, will do a bath push from Morrison’s supermarket in Alness to Invergordon High Street to raise even more cash.
Mrs Finlayson said: "People have been absolutely amazing and we are so grateful to everyone."
