A family has raised £3,500 for Tameside Hospital’s Critical Care Unit after organising a community fire engine wash in memory of a loved one whose organ donation saved five lives.
The fundraising event took place at Offerton Fire Station in Stockport on Sunday, June 28, and was organised by Mark’s mum, Dawn, alongside family and friends.
The money will support the creation of a memorial garden at the Critical Care Unit at Tameside Hospital, offering a peaceful space where families can reflect during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Mark, 34, was admitted to the unit in August 2025 after suffering two cardiac arrests caused by a seizure. Despite the efforts of paramedics, who twice revived him, and the dedicated care provided by the Critical Care team, he never regained consciousness after his brain was deprived of oxygen.
Throughout his time in hospital, Dawn and her family said they were shown exceptional compassion by staff, who kept them informed about every stage of Mark’s treatment and continued speaking to him with dignity and respect, despite him remaining unconscious.
After the difficult decision was made to withdraw life-sustaining treatment, Mark’s wish to become an organ donor was honoured. On September 2, 2025, he donated his organs, saving the lives of five people.
As Mark was taken to theatre, his family walked behind his bed while staff from the Critical Care Unit formed a guard of honour along the corridor – a moment they say they will never forget.
Determined that Mark’s kindness should continue to make a difference, Dawn has dedicated herself to raising funds for the unit. She hopes the planned memorial garden will give future families somewhere peaceful to sit together, reflect and make difficult phone calls away from the clinical environment.
The fire engine wash brought together family, friends and members of the local community to celebrate Mark’s life through a day filled with memories, laughter and tears. The event raised £3,500, taking the family’s overall fundraising total to more than £13,000.
Dawn said: “I vowed to keep Mark’s legacy and memory going, and this I will continue to do. If there had been a space like a memorial garden where we could have sat, reflected and made those difficult phone calls, it would have meant so much. I hope this fundraising will help create that space for other families.”
The money raised will help develop the memorial garden at Tameside Hospital’s Critical Care Unit, creating a place of comfort for patients, relatives and hospital staff.
Emily Whelan, Charity Manager for Tameside & Glossop NHS Charity, said: “Mark’s family have been absolutely amazing in supporting our Critical Care Unit and the generosity shown by the local community is helping to ensure Mark’s kindness and selflessness continue to make a difference long into the future.”