Gourock woman who defied medics fights for rights

Gourock’s Allannah McCready was given little chance of being able to walk and the odds of her surviving were slim even before she was born 28 years ago.

Since then she has defied doctors throughout her entire life.

Inspirational Allannah also suffers from fluid on the brain and has had to have a shunt inserted.

She is registered blind, has severe epilepsy and hypermobility on top of symptoms associated with being born with a gap in her spine.

But she has found her voice to fight prejudice head on, as well as campaigning for more services for young people with disabilities.

She is also fighting along with her fellow-campaigner mum to stop health services from being moved out of the area.

Allannah, 28, said: “I want to continue to walk, but there are days when I need a wheelchair.

“Just because you can’t see a disability it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

“I think people need to be made more aware of it.”

Her parents Siobhan and Robert were told to expect the worst when Allannah was born with spina bifida.

She spent much of her childhood in and out of hospital but refused to let her disabilities limit her.

Despite her constant battle with spina bifida and hydrocephalus Allannah excelled at swimming with Port Glasgow Otters and worked with Inverclyde Leisure.

But her epilepsy escalated when she was 18 years old and at the age of 21 she was diagnosed with hypermobility.

Overnight her world came crashing down when she was told she could no longer swim or work.

Allanah, of McCallum Crescent, said: “That was the worst feeling. I was absolutely devastated — I was working, I was swimming and there were trials for Scotland and then overnight it was all taken away.”

On top of that a series of seizures left with her deteriorating sight.

But Allannah has refused to give in and is now using all her health problems as a motivating force to help other people.

She wants to focus on issues such as benefits and campaigning for more help for young people with physical disabilities.

Allanah added: “There is nowhere for young people with disabilities to go to meet other people. I also want to look at employability, as people with disabilities have so much to offer.”

Now the local Labour party disability officer, Allannah is also involved in the trade union movement with Unite.

One of her biggest moments so far was introducing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at a Scottish event.

She is following in the footsteps of her mum, trade unionist Siobhan, who was the local Labour candidate at the last Scottish Parliament elections.

Siobhan, 52, said: “We are very proud of Allannah.

“It has been tough but she is very determined.

“Her epilepsy in particular makes her very vulnerable but she is doing great things and speaking up.

“There was a moment when I was looking up at Allannah standing on stage introducing Jeremy Corbyn and I thought, ‘there’s a girl up there who wasn’t given a chance’.”

It was Siobhan’s experience with her daughter which fired her up to get involved in politics.

Activist Siobhan, who is the first woman to chair Unite Scotland’s political committee, is passionate about protecting local health services.

Despite facing an avalanche of abuse online she has continued to highlight threats to services.

She said: “It is because of what happened to Allannah that I am involved in politics, to protect health services.

“Centralisation is good on paper but health services have to be in place for local people. 

“Before I could drive there was many a time when I was relying on relatives to get us to Paisley or Yorkhill.

“It is much worse now, —health services are going from Inverclyde all the time.

“I know because we have experienced it. We have to go to Glasgow now for so much. 

“You go to the Queen Elizabeth and the queues are out the door — why can’t there be more outpatient clinics down here?

“The other day we went to Glasgow to see an epilepsy nurse.

“I worry about parents and children in Inverclyde as not everyone has a car.”