A survivor of the 1984 Abbeystead disaster has raised more than £36,000 for the burns unit at Royal Preston Hospital.
The unit (Ward 4) received two vein mappers from the team at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity, bought with money raised last year by John Holmes to commemorate those who died or who were seriously burned in the 1984 tragedy. The vein mappers will help medical staff cannulate patients.
John was among 44 guests of the North West Water Authority who had been taken to the valve house (pumping station) at Abbeystead to watch a demonstration of operations to alleviate flooding in St Michaels on Wyre.
Read more: Garstang family members raise £1,800 to honour medics who saved their niece’s life
He was inside the underground building when it blew up and filled with water. The explosion, later found to have been caused by a build-up of methane gas, killed 16 of those with him. John suffered serious burns in the blast.
To mark the disaster’s 40th anniversary last May, John undertook a two day sponsored walk from Silverdale Masonic Hall to Garstang Masonic Hall. Throughout the walk, Mr Holmes was joined by masonic family and friends.
Ward manager Lea Cottle said: “A cannula is a fine tube. It allows fluids and medicines to be delivered into the bloodstream via a drip.
“The cannula is inserted directly into a vein, usually in the arm or the back of the hand. It is inserted via a fine needle that is removed as soon as the cannula is in place. In burns patients, finding a good vein to cannulate can be more difficult because burn injuries cause fluid depletion. In turn, this can make the cannulation procedure potentially more painful and stressful for the patient.”
The cost of the vein mappers and two stands, which came to £8,345, was taken from a total of £36,302.42 which was raised by John and friends for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity.
Charity team fundraiser Lucy Clark added: “We are very grateful to John for his fundraising for the burns unit which, at the time of the disaster, treated many of the most seriously injured. The vein mappers were requested by staff to make treatment more comfortable for current patients. Other projects using John’s donation are to follow.”
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