A MOFFAT mum is in training to climb a mountain this summer in memory of her beloved son who died suddenly three years ago.
And Sharon Duncan hopes her efforts will also raise money to pay for lots more cardiac screening for young people locally so that other families don’t have to endure a similar loss.
Her son David Hill died in March 2022 at the age of 30 from sudden cardiac death.
Still devastated by his passing, Sharon is trying to use the tragedy for good and will scale the 974 metre high Ben Lomond on June 28.
She will be joined by husband Gordon, as well as other family and friends, and has also issued a wider invitation to anyone else that would like to join in.
The fundraiser is in aid of the David Hill Memorial Fund, which supports Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), which provides heart screenings for young people in Dumfries and Galloway aged 14-35.
And Sharon hopes her challenge will inspire others to climb their own mountains for David, either physically or theoretically, by holding a sponsored event over the next few months
She said: “Your own mountain might not be that high, but we all can choose a challenge for ourselves to recognise.
“If you are climbing, can you please write his name on a small stone and take David with you to the top, and we can maybe build a few wee cairns to honour him.
“We cannot change our past, but with your help, together we can change the future for others. We hope it will save other families from living with the pain we now suffer.”
Still a proud mum, she paid tribute to her boy, saying: “David was kind, generous and caring, with a wicked sense of humour. He was held in high regard by all who knew him, both socially and professionally at Holyrood, as an extraordinary man.”
Meanwhile, Sharon and David’s dad, Rodger Hill, have so far raised over £75,000 and helped screen over 200 people through their fund.
The next screening event is in Dumfries this weekend and all 200 slots are fully booked.
There will be more sessions in the region in June and September and dates are already being considered for 2026.
Rodger said: “We are blown away by the speed that these screenings booked up. This clearly demonstrates that there is a very real need for screening in Dumfries and Galloway.”
