A grieving husband says he has been “touched” by the public response to the death of his wife, a former Crieff school worker.
Nicola Deeth, 43, died at Perth’s Cornhill Macmillian Centre on Wednesday after a cancer battle that began more than three years ago.
In the aftermath her husband Stephen set up a fundraiser to purchase a vein finder for the use of local community nurses.
He says this would have helped Nicola during her illness.
Stephen, 44, set a £2,000 target that has already been exceeded, with more than £6,000 raised in just a few days.
“Family and friends have all rallied around,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting it to go as big as it has.
“It’s been touching.”
Childhood sweethearts moved to Crieff
Stephen and Nicola met at school in their native Tain, Ross-shire.
Their relationship began when he was 17 and she was 16.
“She has been a constant in my life through all that time,” Stephen said.
After a spell apart they got back together in their early 20s and tied the knot at Crieff Hydro in 2006.
Soon afterwards they moved from Dunfermline to the Perthshire town, where Nicola’s sister lived.
Nicola was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2020 before later being given the all-clear.
But in September 2022 she was told the cancer had returned and spread to her brain.
Nicola worked at Morrison’s Academy as a music administrator until the end of 2022, when her condition made it impossible for her to carry on.
Medical device in memory of Nicola Deeth
Offshore worker Stephen set up the GoFundme page for a vein finder having seen his wife suffer during her treatment.
“The district nurses were great but because of the chemotherapy her veins shrank and when it came to taking blood they couldn’t get it,” Stephen said.
“When one of the nurses said that ‘if only we had a vein finder this would be a piece of cake’ we realised something could be done.
“You put it under your arm and it guides the needle through the vein so they can find it first time.
“Nicola planned out everything, including her funeral service, and her request was that instead of receiving flowers she wanted to raise money for a vein finder for the local community.”
Stephen is still urging people to contribute to the fundraising effort, despite already exceeding the £2,000 target.
This is because surplus funds will be donated towards buying equipment for the Cornhill Macmillan Centre.
Second campaign after death of son Joshua
It is not the first time a family tragedy has inspired Stephen to launch a fundraising initiative.
The couple set up the Joshua Deeth Foundation after the death of their son, aged three months, to pontocerebellar hypoplasia (PCH) in November 2009.
They raised more than £100,000 for research into the rare genetic condition.
And thanks to scientific advancements the defective genes carried by Stephen and Nicola were pinpointed so they were able to have another child, Oliver, who is now aged 10.
Stephen and Nicola’s eldest son Charlie is 16 years old.
“Nicola’s kids were her everything, especially after Joshua’s passing,” Stephen said.
“She was so passionate about what the boys were doing and everything revolved around them.
“It was all about making memories and making sure they were happy.
“I am now left with a huge void.
“In the past year everything has revolved around Nicola.
“Now it has all stopped so it’s really strange now.
“She was a friend to everyone and really well loved at school.
“And throughout the charity work we have made some friends.
“She will be sorely missed.”
Conversation