Ross Cowie

In December 2006 Ross Cowie suffered a sudden cardiac arrest whilst in the shinty club in Portree. His life was saved due to the skills of the local ambulance crew and the equipment carried in their vehicle.

He subsequently had 13 arrests prior to being diagnosed in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with dilated cardiomyopathy, an inherited cardiac disorder and one which we may assume was responsible for the sudden and premature deaths of several family members including his father.

Whilst in Aberdeen he was fitted with an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Ross always expressed great appreciation for the care which he received in both Raigmore CCU and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

Ross subsequently went on to established Lucky2BHere with the hope that it might give others the same chance. From the very beginning, Ross had one clear goal: to ensure that as many lives as possible could be saved in an emergency. Starting with Skye, Ross along with several volunteers worked tirelessly to increase the availability of public access defibrillators.

His determination led the charity to become one of the first in Scotland to focus on placing defibrillators in rural areas where emergency medical help was often far from reach. Ross believed that it wasn’t enough for communities to simply have access to life-saving devices; it was equally important that they were equipped with the skills to use them effectively.

This belief led to every defibrillator obtained through Lucky2BHere being paired with Emergency Life Support (ELS) training, ensuring that communities not only had the tools but also the skills and confidence to save lives when it mattered most.

Inspired by Ross’s commitment volunteers rallied behind the cause. As a result, training teams were set up in various regions, sharing the charity’s core values and spreading life-saving skills to communities across Scotland. He was determined to improve Scotland’s survival rates for out of hospital cardiac arrests and believed the key to this was introducing ELS training in all secondary schools in Scotland.

Lucky2BHere founder and Skye shinty legend Ross Cowie passed away in October 2024 aged 64. His legacy lives on in the hearts and actions of all who support Lucky2BHere and we are dedicated to continuing the work he started and making a difference to communities across Scotland.