Highlands and Islands MSP Rhoda Grant has thrown her support behind this year’s Great Daffodil Appeal, Marie Curie’s flagship fundraising campaign.
The appeal, now in its 39th year, asks the public to wear a daffodil pin and donate during March to help ensure no one faces terminal illness without support.
Marie Curie provides end of life care for people with a range of conditions, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, motor neurone disease, and advanced organ failure.
Rhoda Grant met with Marie Curie staff and volunteers to hear first-hand how their work eases the burden for patients and families across Scotland.
She praised the charity for delivering expert care at home and in hospices, describing it as vital support during one of life’s hardest chapters.
The charity supported around 7,200 people in Scotland in the past year, providing comfort, dignity and practical help in their final days.
Rhoda Grant said she was proud to champion the campaign, underlining the importance of ensuring every person, regardless of location or diagnosis, has access to quality end of life care.
She emphasised the profound impact Marie Curie has not just on patients but on families navigating grief, stress, and uncertainty.
One of those family voices, Anne Lane, shared the story of her sister Mags who received care from Marie Curie.
Anne said the charity’s staff didn’t just care for Mags, they wrapped the entire family in compassion and calm.
She described how every conversation with Marie Curie nurses brought clarity and comfort during the most difficult moments.
Through emotional support and clear communication, they gave her family space to focus on love, not logistics.
Anne said the care team’s empathy turned isolation into understanding and fear into peace.
Amy Dalrymple of Marie Curie Scotland highlighted the urgency behind the appeal, reminding supporters that every donation brings care to someone at the most crucial time.
She warned that by 2040, another 10,000 people across Scotland will need palliative care each year.
She stressed that the Great Daffodil Appeal is a chance to make a real difference — because we only get one chance to give someone a good death.
Amy urged people to wear their daffodil and donate, helping ensure no one is left to die in pain or alone.
She called on everyone to remember the impact of end of life care, not only for those we lose, but for those left behind.
Marie Curie nurses, she said, deliver dignity, warmth, and understanding where there is often fear, confusion, and pain.
The Great Daffodil Appeal is only once a year, but its impact lasts forever.
To find out more or donate, visit mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil
