A Dumfries mum has paid tribute to the dad she adored by jumping from a plane 14,000 feet in the air.
Fiona Quinn’s father Bob McCallie died on May 10 following a tough battle with a horrific disease.
The 80-year-old retired ambulance technician was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis too late for treatment that might have prolonged his life.
He passed away at the home he shared with wife Anne just over a year after the couple’s oldest son Mike died, followed by Mike’s wife Lynn just six weeks later.
Fiona, 49, said: “Mike died aged 56 in April, 2020, and his wife Lynn died six weeks later.
“Dad was diagnosed around the same time after a couple of years with a horrible cough.
“We were completely devastated as we were still grieving for my brother and sister-in-law.
“Pulmonary fibrosis isn’t something we hear about very often but it’s a horrific illness.
“Dad was diagnosed too late for medication which might have contained it or stopped it from progressing.
“He really suffered and ended up on oxygen 24 hours a day because he couldn’t breathe.
“It’s a disease that really limits what you can do and something I wouldn’t wish on anybody.”
Covid restrictions meant numbers were limited at Bob’s funeral but a heartfelt gesture from his former colleagues at the Ambulance Service touched the hearts of his family.
Fiona added: “He was buried at St Michael’s Cemetery and current and former ambulance personnel lined the Craigs Road. They also had an ambulance sitting with its lights flashing.
“Dad was a quiet, laidback and kind gentleman who stopped to speak to everybody.
“If people had been able to attend the funeral, we’d have had a collection and donated it to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust charity which provides personal support to people affected by the illness and raises awareness of it.”
Fiona, mum of 14-year-old Molly and Sean, nine, had always wanted to do a skydive but never got round to it.
So she decided to combine the jump with raising money for the charity in memory of her dad.
She said: “I set up a gofundme page and have so far raised £1,100.
“I completed the skydive on July 18 at Skydive Northwest in the Lake District.
“My children and partner Michael Burns were more nervous than me.
“I just tumbled out the plane and it was amazing. It definitely lived up to my expectations and I’d love to do it again.
“It was a real experience up there in the sky with the wind rushing past my face and felt really peaceful
“Dad has left a huge hole in our hearts and we miss him greatly.
“I’ll be happy if I’ve managed to raise a bit of awareness of the disease and some money for the charity that helps people like him.”
Fiona’s gofundme page is still active and donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/fionas-charity-skydive-in-memory-of-dad
