Copyright dailyrecord
An NHS worker says her florist mum's fatal lung condition may have been caused by working with pollen. Rosalynd Robertson, a diabetes specialist dietitian with NHS Lanarkshire, said her mother Kay was a florist for almost 20 years. She says doctors believed her condition may have been triggered by a sensitivity to the pollen she breathed in at work. Kay sadly passed away aged just 57 while she was waiting for a life-saving double lung transplant after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis - a condition that causes lung tissue damage. A year on from Kay's untimely death, Rosalynd is urging people to join the Organ Donor Register and tell their families about their wish to give the gift of a transplant. "Our mum might still be with us if there had been more donors and a larger number of lungs available," said Rosalynd, from Eaglesham, East Renfrewshire, currently living in Coatbridge. "She was only 5ft 3ins and she lost a lot of weight during her illness, so her petite size made it difficult for the medics to find a match. "The lungs of a large man would have made the procedure much more complex so would not have been suitable. "After she joined the transplant list at the end of 2023, we all waited for that phone call saying there were organs available and that she would be blue-lighted to the transplant unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. But mum passed away in November last year before the call ever came." Just a year earlier Kay, from Eaglesham, had married fiance Scott Rankin and still had the energy to hit the dance floor during the reception. She was very active before becoming unwell, joining Rosalynd at cheerleading classes while in her 40s and enjoying Zumba, dancing and long walks with her dog. But by October 2024 she was so ill she had to be admitted to hospital and was moved to the top of the transplant list just before her death. Rosalynd, 29, said: "Mum was diagnosed five years before she passed away and the doctors didn't know for sure why she developed pulmonary fibrosis. She worked with flowers for years but her allergy to pollen was mild and didn't bother her. "Her brother also died from pulmonary fibrosis. He was an engineer on the rigs and they thought his illness could have been caused by the fumes he was breathing in from the environment there. "It may be that they both had the genetic component for pulmonary fibrosis," said Rosalynd, referring to mutations in genes that are linked to the disease and can run in families. "This would mean they were both more susceptible to developing the disease which could have then been triggered by the environmental exposures like pollen and fumes. "I'd urge everyone to make a decision on donation and then tell their loved ones to ensure their wishes are honoured without any doubt. Think of the lives that could be saved and the mums, dads, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends who wouldn't need to lose their loved ones too soon." In Scotland, people aged 16 and over can choose to be an organ and tissue donor or to opt out on the Organ Donor Register. If you do nothing, it's assumed you agree to be a donor if donation is possible after you pass away. You can register your donation decision and find out more at www.organdonation.scot or call 0300 123 2323.
