THE legacy of vet student, who was tragically killed in a crash on the A1, is helping save the lives of pets on the Isle of Skye after fire crews were kitted out with life-saving oxygen masks with her help.
Meghan Ambrozevich-Blair (pictured below) was a dedicated animal welfare supporter who helped East Lothian charity Fostering Compassion launch its campaign to provide the resuscitation kits for animals to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Meghan introduced charity founder Lesley Winton to her dad Kevin, who was a firefighter in Dunbar, and was working to get workshops set up to produce the kits and educate children on fire safety when she was tragically killed in the crash eight years ago.
Lesley and her team continued to work with Kevin, who is now a patron of the charity, to set up the workshops, which were officially launched in 2019.
The Animal Heroes workshops involve children in making or giving a gift to an animal in need, and the Smokey Paws kits are part of their Gifts of Compassion.
The charity has now provided 28 kits to crews across Scotland, with the latest donation going to five crews in Skye.
Fostering Compassion met up with station commander Karla Henderson, who is based on Skye, at Aviemore station earlier this week to hand over the kits.
Karla said: “I am extremely grateful to Fostering Compassion for this kind donation.
“These kits will enable firefighters to administer oxygen to animals involved in incidents where they may have suffered smoke inhalation or injury.
"Ultimately, the use of these kits can increase an animal’s chances of survival.”
The Fostering Compassion Animal Heroes workshops are run with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service personnel, where care-experienced children learn about animals who care for people and likewise people who care for animals.
Lesley said: “I am so proud of this Fostering Compassion achievement. To think we have helped save the lives of animals who may well otherwise have died in fires fills my heart with joy.
“The Animal Heroes workshop was established in memory of Meghan and has been created with the blessing of her family.”
Meghan died just days after sitting her final exam in her veterinary nursing course at Edinburgh Napier University and was posthumously awarded a first-class honour.
She was travelling on the dual carriageway stretch of the A1 between the Spott and Thistly Cross roundabouts when a truck driving the wrong way down the carriageway crashed into her car.
The driver of the truck, Michael Friel, was jailed for three and a half years in 2019 for causing death by dangerous driving.
READ MORE: Wrong-way A1 crash driver who killed student sent to jail
The five kits will go to Gairloch (Wester Ross), Kyle of Lochalsh, and Portree, Uig and Staffin Firestations on the Isle of Skye.
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