The heartbroken sons of a diabetic Dundee woman, who died after a cardiac arrest, have paid tribute to her.
The brothers want to ensure that Jacqueline McDade, 42, from Mid Craigie, didn’t lose her life to the condition in vain.
Robert, 24, who is also diabetic, said: “I want people to appreciate just how serious diabetes is and to do what they can to look after themselves.
“Mum was my best friend and now she is gone. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.
“She really looked after me and my brother, Kieran.”
Robert said he and Kieran, 19, watched for years as their mum struggled to cope.
He said: “She really struggled at times with her condition. She was given loads of help and was on medication, but sometimes it was difficult for her to control it. The worst bit is more recently she was doing really well.
“She had managed to put on some weight and was really quite happy with how things were going.”
But last Monday, she had been visiting a friend when things took a sudden and unexpected turn for the worse.
Robert said: “Someone came running round to the house to tell us that mum had taken a really bad turn.
“Kieran went to where she was and I contacted my close relatives.”
An ambulance had arrived and its crew was preparing to take her to hospital.
He said: “Mum had gone into cardiac arrest. One of my neighbours, who is first aid trained, gave her CPR, as did the paramedics, but, sadly, there was nothing that anyone could do.
“We are so grateful to everyone who did what they could to try to save her.”
Robert said the family feel lucky to have had their mum for as long as they did, following another bad turn she took two years ago.
He said: “She went into cardiac arrest then, too, but they were able to bring her back — it just wasn’t to be this time. I really want something positive to come out of this and I want people to be aware of the dangers of diabetes. If mum’s death prevents another family losing a loved one she won’t have died in vain.”
A collection for Ninewells Diabetic Clinic will be taken at Jacqueline’s funeral at Dundee Crematorium today (Tuesday).