Whiteabbey Hospital nurse Linda tells of beloved son's legacy as she marks 40 years in the NHS
A Whiteabbey Hospital nurse has told of how she continues to carry on her beloved son’s legacy as she marks 40 years in the NHS.
In July, staff at the Hospital gathered to celebrate the milestone of their colleague Linda Hogan, who began her career there in 1985.
"I started my nursing training after I left school at Downshire and did three years at Whiteabbey,” said Linda, from the Broadlands area of Carrickfergus.
Also a qualified midwife, Linda has worked in the City and Mater hospitals, as well as several years in England and Wales.
She returned to Northern Ireland in 2012 with her husband Steve and their son Laurie, after which she re-joined Whiteabbey as a member of the endoscopy team and was later redeployed to ICU during the Covid pandemic.
In June 2020, Linda and Steve faced an unimaginable loss when former Belfast High pupil Laurie died, aged just 22, after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
"Laurie was at university in Belfast studying Aerospace Engineering. He wanted to work for NASA, and he would have,” Linda said.
"He had to come home to study and do his exams because of Covid. That was the only good thing; he was at home for those few months before it happened.”
The couple made the decision to donate Laurie’s organs – a gift that saved the lives of four people - after learning that their son had consented to be an organ donor.
Since then, Linda has carried on his legacy by fundraising with colleagues for the Revive ICU Fund, which which supports the work of the regional intensive care unit in Belfast where Laurie was cared for.
She and her husband have also been active in sharing Laurie’s story over the past five years.
Events such as the Remembrance and Thanksgiving Service at St Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh, held every three years as a tribute to those who donated organs and to their families, have helped the couple navigate their grief. “Because Laurie died during Covid we weren’t able to have a church service, so it was lovely to be able to take part in that,” Linda said.
Praising her colleagues at Whiteabbey for their support, she added: “The team are brilliant, especially my ward manager Pamela McCormick – she’s amazing. I just love coming into work.”