Lorraine Ribbons, who has died aged 72, dedicated much of her life to supporting families of children with heart conditions. As a volunteer for the Association of Children with Heart Disorders (ACHD), she visited young patients in hospitals, arranged holidays, and provided emotional and practical support.
Personal Experience Led to Volunteering
Two of Lorraine's three children were born with heart disorders, prompting her to start volunteering in the late 1970s. A trained nurse, she gained access to the cardiac wards of Edinburgh Sick Children's Hospital through the ACHD, where consultants encouraged her to offer help. She befriended and counselled other families facing similar challenges.
Transformative Holidays for Youngsters
Lorraine organised weekend breaks and holidays in the countryside, where children enjoyed activities like pony riding and archery. These trips were often transformative, giving them independence from their parents and allowing them to engage in high-spirited activities without constant supervision.
Background and Early Life
Born in Oxford, Lorraine was the daughter of Humphrey Turner, a WWII fighter pilot, and Stephanie Keller, a Swiss woman he met after being shot down. She grew up in Poole, Dorset, attended Talbot Heath school, and trained as a nurse in Oxford.
Family and Career
While nursing, she met Robert Simpson, marrying him in 1976. They moved to Edinburgh, and after the birth of their first child, she became a full-time mother. When two of their three sons were diagnosed with heart disorders, she began volunteering with the ACHD at Edinburgh Sick Children's Hospital, continuing until 2008.
Later, Lorraine trained as a marriage guidance counsellor, volunteering for Couple Counselling Lothian in Edinburgh and becoming a supervisor. After divorcing Robert in 2006, she met her second husband on a sponsored bike ride, marrying in 2010.
Adventurous Spirit
A keen cyclist, Lorraine joined her son Andrew on part of his motor trip from Carrickfergus to Cape Town in 2011, travelling from Hurghada, Egypt, to Nairobi during the Arab Spring. She is survived by her husband, her three sons from her first marriage, and eight grandchildren.
