*This article reported as fact that a woman “had been denied an X-ray” prior to her death. In fact, this was a claim made by the woman’s family and was not verified prior to publication. Since publication, one of her doctors has told us that the woman was sent for X-rays. This correction has been published following an upheld ruling by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. 

A COURAGEOUS Greenock mum who passed away just a year on from a shock cancer diagnosis organised a baby shower for the grandchild she knew she would never meet.

Donna Gallagher from Greenock died last November aged just 51 after a brave battle with stage four bowel cancer.

The big-hearted mum worked at the Fitzgerald Centre for almost 25 years and was much-loved by her colleagues and service users.

She and her husband Brian, who also works at the centre, were very active in the community and when the pandemic hit they were out delivering parcels to elderly people and taking patients to and from essential hospital appointments.

After a series of health complaints, Donna was diagnosed with the illness in October 2020.

But she was determined to leave a lasting memory for her first grandchild.

Donna's husband Brian said: "Donna knew she wouldn't be about to see wee Oscar.

"We helped her make a wee memory box for him, so he will always remember her.

"We brought Donna along to the baby shower in a wheelchair and the courage she showed was just incredible."

Donna's son Michael, Oscar's dad, said: "Oscar wouldn't be here without my mum and a part of her will always live on in him.

"I'm so grateful to her."

Straight after she left school, Donna became a medic in the army and did two tours of Ireland before coming back to Scotland to start on a career of caring and befriending, working in places including the McPherson Centre in Gourock.

Brian said: "She had a heart of gold.

"If something needed done, she would sort it out.

"She was the glue that held everyone together."

At the start of 2020, Donna started to experience pain in her hip and the family say her GP said it was likely to be arthritic bursitis.

When the coronavirus lockdown hit, despite her pain getting worse, Donna was out in the community with Brian making sure people were looked after.

In the months that followed, she developed problems with her hand and her stomach began to swell up.

Brian said: "She couldn't get to see a doctor face to face, it was only video and phone calls, and they wouldn't send her for an X-ray.

"The GP told her it was fluid in her stomach and said she could go to hospital 'if she wanted'.

"They were fobbing her off all the time."

In October 2020, Donna came down the stairs one morning in a lot of pain.

Brian added: "We went up to the hospital but they wouldn't let me in with her at first.

"They phoned me to come back in and when I arrived they asked 'has your GP mentioned cancer?'.

"We were in complete and utter shock."

The couple were devastated to learn that doctors had discovered two melon-sized tumours in Donna's bowel and that the cancer had spread to other parts of her body.

Donna's mum Jessie - whose husband John, Donna's dad, is living with dementia - told the Tele that Donna had taken her bowel cancer screening test when it arrived earlier than expected.

She said: "Nothing showed up in the test.

"Maybe if she had taken it later, something would have been picked up and she would still be here.

"You never think your children will go before you."

Donna underwent a course of chemotherapy but she didn't react well to it and her peripherally inserted central catheter kept getting infected.

She contracted sepsis and Covid and fell into a coma for a few days but her determination to live got her through it.

Brian said Donna's strength of spirit amazed staff at the hospital.

He added: "They couldn't believe her determination.

"She wrote poems for the staff and still had a sense of humour right until the end.

"The nurses up at Inverclyde Royal are unbelievable, and they tried their best for her."

Three weeks after her operation, Donna was discharged from hospital and Brian said the family tried to live 'the best they could' in the months that followed.

He added: "We went on a family holiday to Blackpool but we had to come home early as Donna was in a lot of pain.

"Doctors suggested going into Ardgowan Hospice for a week to manage her discomfort."

Donna spent around four months in the hospice before she passed away just 10 weeks before the birth of wee Oscar.

Brian says Donna's legacy will live on at the Fitzgerald Centre and in her family forever.

He added: "She was a bright, shining star. Everyone loved her."

Donna's brother Graeme added: "We all miss her so much."

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WONDERFUL WOMAN Donna's mum Jessie, son Michael, grandson Oscar, brother Graeme and husband Brian.