Hospital donation from fund in memory of Fife man who died at 19 from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

The Cookie Jar Foundation was named after Christopher ‘Cookie’ Coutts, from Aberdour, after he lost his two year battle against the condition in June 2013.

He endured a lot of stress and anxiety when hospital staff carried out IV procedures, and the discovery of vein finders proved hugely helpful.

Now the foundation presented two of them to the maternity ward at the Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy so other patients can benefit.

The Cookie Jar Foundation had a huge number of fundraisers planned just as COVID hit, it is now up and running again - and making a positive impact in Christopher’s memory.

In 2019 it was nominated as Fife Housing Group’s local charity of the year.

Despite the impact of Covid, it raised £4000 through a car boot sale, Great British Cookie off, and a Ben Nevis walk.

Its vein finders have helped in several areas of the Vic, and the team behind the foundation approached the maternity unit to see if it could use them - just as Pamela Higgins, interim inpatient clinical midwifery manager, was looking into placing two of these devices into two wards within her department.

Pamela said “We are extremely pleased and grateful for the donation of 2 vein finders from the Cookie Jar foundation.

“We will utilise these primarily for pvc insertion in neonates within the intra partum floor and our postnatal ward for newborn babies requiring iv medication within their first hours of life. For any parent having your child unwell and requiring IV medication is extremely stressful.

“The vein finders will assist staff in undertaking an extremely difficult skill and will make the process easier and more accurate. Aiding in administering IV medication as soon as possible.”She added: “They are a welcome addition to the equipment and processes we have in place to provide neonates the care they need whilst remaining with their parents throughout.

Further information, please go to www.thecookiejarfoundation.co.uk