“It was an honour”: How Fiona is keeping Pat’s memory alive through her Wee Tartan Cards

Pat McGachan was a much-loved husband, Dad, Papi and friend, who died in 2023 just two years after his motor neuron disease (MND) diagnosis. Today would have been his birthday.

Married to his wife Moira for 48 years, family was at the centre of everything Pat did. His children, Clare, Scott and Stuart, and his six grandchildren meant the world to him, and nothing brought him more joy than having everyone together.

For Fiona, Pat was not only her father-in-law, but someone she shared a very special bond with, built on love, trust, laughter and family. “He always greeted the grandkids with a hug and was forever ready with a game, a silly song or something to entertain them,” Fiona recalled. “The big kid joined the little kids for fun.”

Known for his huge smile, cheeky humour and famous “Muttley” laugh, Pat filled every room with warmth. Music constantly echoed through the McGachan household too - The Beatles blasting through speakers, guitars being strummed and family singalongs creating memories that would last forever. “He was loved by everyone,” Fiona said. “A family man, a fabulous friend, a perfect Papi.”

When Pat was diagnosed with MND in 2021, life changed not only for him, but for the entire family around him. “At the beginning we knew very little about MND and the impact it would have,” Fiona explained. “We were naive to it all.”

As the disease progressed and Pat gradually lost strength in his arms and legs, everyday life slowly became more challenging. Adaptations filled the family home: stair lifts, specialist chairs, adapted cutlery and wheelchairs becoming part of a new normal no family ever wants to face. Still, through everything, Pat remained determined to stand against the disease.

“Most importantly, we tried very hard to maintain Pat’s independence,” Fiona said. “He was determined not to give up easily. In his mind, he was going to fight this.” Eventually, Fiona made the decision to step away from her teaching career to help care for Pat full-time alongside his wife Moira, which she described as “an honour”.

From medication and feeding, to lifting, repositioning and comforting him through difficult days, Fiona became one of Pat’s carers during the most vulnerable period of his life. “I won’t lie - it was scary, daunting and exhausting at times,” she admitted. “But to him, it meant the world to feel safe, loved and cared for. Together, we gave him that every single day.” 

What made that role so profound for Fiona was the trust Pat placed in her.

Even during the hardest days, there was still joy. Pat’s grandchildren were part of every stage of the journey with their Papi - dancing, singing and creating moments of happiness around him when the weight of MND felt overwhelming.

Using smart technology controlled through a sensor attached to his forehead, Pat would choose songs on YouTube for the kids to dance to, turning the volume up loud for maximum entertainment.  “He continued to amaze us,” Fiona reminisced.

Every night, Fiona would come to help get Pat ready for bed. “We would pillow him up, tuck him in and put his CPAP mask on while the oxygen blew loudly through the tubes,” she said. “And still, every single night, he would say: ‘Night night. Love you.’” 

Over time, caring for Pat became something the family learned together. “We knew him inside and out,” Fiona said. “From scratching his nose, to making sure his slippers were on properly, to hoisting him out of bed just in time for the football World Cup - we tailored everything around him.” And despite everything MND was taking from him physically, Pat’s personality never left him.

“What stays with me most is his determination and his cheekiness,” Fiona smiled. “No matter how tired or unwell he felt, he was still getting up to watch the football.”

Alongside the heartbreak, Fiona also remembers the extraordinary love between Pat and his wife Moira throughout his illness. “Of course it took its toll,” she reflected. “There were moments of tension and upset, but they never lost their love for each other. Through and through, Moira was there every single day, and in his own wee ways, Pat thanked her for everything she did.”

Being part of Pat’s care during the final months of his life is something Fiona now looks back on with immense pride. “Yes it was emotionally exhausting. Yes it was utterly heartbreaking,” she said. “But none of us would have had it any other way. Pat deserved the very best care, and together as a family - alongside the truly wonderful staff at St Columba’s Hospice - we were determined to give him exactly that.”

The hospice staff would often joke about the “five-star service” Pat was receiving in his hotel.

Now, through fundraising and awareness work for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, Fiona and the wider family are determined to keep Pat’s memory alive. Inspired by her lifelong love of crafts and design, Fiona launched Wee Tartan Cards last year - creating handmade Doddie tartan-inspired cards and gifts to raise funds for the Foundation.

“I wanted to do more,” Fiona explained. “I saw the impact this disease was having on so many families across the UK.”

While many fundraising challenges are sports-based, Fiona knew her strengths lay elsewhere. “I don’t think I’ll ever find myself running a marathon or cycling hundreds of miles,” she laughed, “although stranger things have happened! My talents have always been within crafts, art and design.”

Inspired by her artistic grandfather and her grandmother, who taught her to cross stitch as a child, Fiona began experimenting with designs before eventually finding her niche. “The Doddie tartan is so recognisable and striking,” she said. “Combined with simple designs, it’s what makes the cards so special.”

With support from family and friends, Wee Tartan Cards quickly grew from early prototypes into market stalls, wedding stationery and bespoke handmade creations. “To date I’ve raised more than £1,700,” Fiona said proudly. “For a one-woman business, I’m incredibly proud of that.”

Fundraising alongside her daughters, Lyla and Rosie, has made the journey even more meaningful. “Designing, creating, selling and fundraising together has created such a special bond between us,” Fiona said.

From helping at stalls to designing their own handmade cards, both girls have become part of the fundraising effort in honour of their beloved Papi. “I’m proud of their kindness, compassion and determination to help raise as many pennies as possible,” Fiona added. “But nobody would be prouder of them than their Papi.”

For Fiona, fundraising for us will always be deeply personal. “What we went through is sadly not unique,” she reflected. “We are just one family among many enduring the heartbreak and pain of MND. Raising awareness and funding research is fundamental in helping to find a cure for such a cruel disease.”

As Father’s Day approaches, the family know it will bring a mixture of love, gratitude and sadness. “Father’s Day is difficult, as it is for many people who have lost their Dad or an important father figure in their life,” Fiona said.

Having lost her own Dad in 2000, Father’s Day had already become an emotional day long before Pat’s death in 2023. “When I met my husband Scott, Father’s Day became a happy occasion again, as we celebrated alongside Pat,” she explained. “Then when our girls came along, those celebrations became even more special.”

Now, with both fathers absent from their lives, the day carries a different meaning once more. “But together as families, and with the girls, we celebrate the wonderful men in our lives - Grandpa, Papi and Dad - both past and present.”

Like so many families affected by grief, there is still a longing for one more conversation, one more hug and one more moment together. “We long to hear their voices again,” Fiona reflected. “To hear them tell us they love us and are proud of us. The ones we love are never forgotten - they are remembered always with love.”

And for the McGachan family, Pat’s memory continues to live on everywhere, in Beatles songs filling Portobello Town Hall during the annual Beatles Marathon fundraiser, in handmade tartan cards lovingly created by Fiona, Lyla and Rosie at the kitchen table, and in the stories, laughter and memories still shared every day.

“We simply miss Pat,” Fiona said. “We miss his presence, his voice, his humour and his love for family. We will forever miss him. But we will never forget him.”

You can buy Fiona’s Wee Tartan Cards for Father’s Day, or any occasion, here.