Catherine McAllister, a nurse from Shotts, has written a memoir about her daughter Ellie, who died at three years old, to show that love does not end when someone is gone.
A mother's story of love and loss
McAllister, 43, was told when eight months pregnant that Ellie was not 'life compatible' after a scan detected a shadow on her brain. Despite being urged to have a termination, she refused. Ellie went on to be a bright, bubbly little girl with an infectious smile, though doctors said she would never walk or talk.
Tragically, in 2007, Ellie died after a complication with her shunt related to hydrocephalus. McAllister described watching doctors try to resuscitate her and then call the time of death as "horrendous, unimaginable."
Finding purpose through grief
Days after Ellie's death, McAllister discovered she was pregnant again. She moved from Arran, had three more children, and trained as a nurse, inspired by Ellie. She served in a high dependency unit in Wishaw during the Covid pandemic and later rebuilt her life after separating from her husband.
She began writing around 2017 to help her mental health and self-published the memoir, 'Because She Was Here: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Resilience', after encouragement from friends.
Hope for others
McAllister hopes the book "brings comfort to anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one." She said, "Losing my daughter was unimaginable and you feel so alone. The book is to give people a little bit of hope, let them know they are not alone, that these terrible moments won’t define the rest of your life."
Her children, Ryan, 18, Archie, 12, and Grace, 9, have grown up knowing about their sister. The family remembers Ellie each year on her birthday, December 2, by putting up the Christmas tree and using a tree topper she made in nursery school with her handprint and footprint.
Recognition and fundraising
The book launch at the Station Hotel in Shotts raised funds for the Bereavement Suite at University Hospital Wishaw. Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson raised a motion in the Scottish Parliament commending Catherine for sharing her family's experience with honesty and compassion and applauding her commitment to giving back to a service that has supported many families.
