Antoaneta Vladimirova, from Castle Douglas, is grieving the loss of her beloved son Pavel at the age of 24 – pictured.
He was diagnosed with juvenile Huntington’s disease in his early teens.
The hereditary disease stopped part of the brain working properly over time and Antoaneta said his conditioned quickly worsened last year and they had to spend nearly four months in the hospital, in the Alexandria Unit, before he passed away.
Originally from Bulgaria, the family have lived in the region for five years now and are grateful for and impressed by the NHS care they received.
Antoaneta said: “There are many difficult battles in life. Those in which we invest all our energy, faith, hope and will to overcome. We keep fighting even when we realise that we have to come to terms with defeat and succumb to God’s will.
“Such was my human and motherly battle for the life of my 24-year-old son, who was suffering from an incurable disease.
“But I was not alone in this battle. Thus, I feel it is important for me to now express my sincere and deep gratitude to some very special people and indisputable professionals; the whole team at Alexandra Unit headed by Dr Sarah Pickstock.”
She added: “For three and a half months, they did not tire of caring for my son Pavel day-and-night. Their care went far beyond maintaining his vital signs and personal hygiene. At the same time, they loved him. And he felt that love. He knew that they loved him, because everyone expressed their love to him in their own unique way.
“My son’s fate touched their emotions, and probably their families. I bow to each of them in respect and gratitude and wish them health and happy days ahead.”
