Defibrillator donation from foundation in memory of Kirkcaldy man, Aidan Sutherland

Aidan Sutherland was just 20 when he fell ill while on a trip to Newcastle with friends in 2017.

His blood sugar levels soared as a result of hyperglycemia.

Since his death, his family have launched a foundation which has made donations to a number of community groups.

It has also raised enough to buy two life-saving defibrillators - and the first one has been installed in the Mercat Shopping Centre. It is located opposite TKMaxx.

The loss of Aidan at such a young age made his family determined to raise funds and awareness of the condition.

Many people know about the issue when a diabetic’s blood sugar levels drop, but few know of the dangers posed when they soar.

Aidan, who had type 1 diabetes, was also an organ donor, and was able to help four other people.

His dad John said: “When Aidan was going through his donation operation it was only then we found out about cardiomyopathy which is happening more and more among young people.

“We wanted to get a defibrillator in place, and thanks to our fantastic fundraisers and supporters, we managed to buy two.

“Councillor Alistair Cameron put us in touch with the Mercat. We were delighted they agreed to take one and put it in such a prime location.”

The foundation was launched straight after Aidan’s death with a football match at Stark’s Park - he was a big Raith Rovers’ supporter.

Since then a number of fundraisers have taken place, and the foundation is up and running again after lockdown with its next event in the pipeline for later this year.

His parents, John and Lin, who ran the London Marathon in his memory, have also appeared on television to raise awareness of the dangers of soaring blood sugar levels.

“”So many positives have come from this,” added John. “And we have a fantastic group which has been with us every step of the way.

“Installing a defibrillator is down to them - this is where their money is going.”