A PEEBLES mum has thanked the "wee gem" hospital worker who made her dying wish come true this week.

Lorna Holness, who is terminally ill with heart failure, wanted to take a trip down memory lane with her family to St Mary’s Loch, a place she loved to visit as a child.

Due to Lorna’s failing health and mobility, the family were struggling to make the journey.

But when big-hearted hospital employee Shonagh Milne heard of their plight, she stepped in to help grant Lorna's final wish.

Haylodge Hospital’s activity co-ordinator Shonagh arranged for Tweed Wheels Community Transport to take Lorna to St Mary’s Loch on Monday.

She was able to enjoy watching her grandsons Christopher and Lewis run around in the sunshine at the beauty spot she played at when she was a young girl.

And, with a smile on her face and a glimmer in her eye, Lorna told the Peeblesshire News that she was over the moon to spend this precious time with her family.

She said: “Shonagh is always asking patients what they would like to do, and when she asked me, I said the only thing I wanted to do was go to St Mary’s Loch, and low and behold she organised it.”

Sadly Lorna will spend her remaining time in hospital, so having this experience with her family was particularly emotional for her.

“I have fond memories of St Mary’s Loch, my granny took me there when I was a child and, when I had my family, we took them there. It’s a family tradition that goes back generations.

Lorna said of Shonagh: “She’s a wee gem with a heart of gold. A very thoughtful person.”

And the hospital angel said she was delighted that Lorna got to fulfil her final wish and that the sun shone on the magical day.

Shonagh said: “I was painting Lorna’s nails one afternoon and we got chatting and she told me that her daughters Cree and Stacey had both tried to get her to St Mary’s Loch but they couldn’t get her into the car.

"I went away thinking of a way I could get Lorna there, and so I called Tweed Wheels who were happy to transport her.”

And for this devoted mother and grandmother, it truly was a day that Lorna and her family will hold in their hearts. She added: “It was so nice watching my grandsons throw stones in the loch. It really was a dream come true and I am so happy it was made possible.”