A KIND-hearted woman has donated four pieces of equipment to the stroke unit at Fairfield Hospital in memory of her late grandmother.

Joanne Wells ran the Manchester Marathon and raised nearly £500 to buy four portable nebulisers for the unit where her grandmother Maureen Black died aged 83 in March.

Mrs Wells, aged 40, knew the unit did not have enough machines while her grandmother was in hospital.

Mrs Wells, of Bowlee Close, Unsworth, said: “Rather than raise some money and give it to a particular ward, I wanted to be able purchase something for the hospital.

"I was running the marathon anyway, but I then decided to do it in memory of my gran.

“We are missing her. She was a real matriarch and head of the family. It will be great to have something like this.”

Mrs Black lived in Crumpsall after moving from Ireland, and had seven children, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, who knew her as Nana Maureen.

Mrs Wells said her grandmother was very self-sufficient, even at the end of her life. She said: “She was still quite fit for 83, and lived on her own so the stroke itself was a shock.

"She was told she didn’t have very long at first, but she lasted for a few weeks. She never lost her sense of humour.

"She was fiercely independent, and when she was in the hospital she asked me to record the Winter Olympics so she would not miss it.”

Nebulisers are electrical machines that turn liquid medicine into a fine mist, which can be easily breathed into the lungs.

Denise Knowles, ward manager of the stroke unit, said: “We discussed with Joanne what the money might be used for and agreed to buy some nebulisers.

"We really appreciate what Joanne has done for the stroke unit and for her kind donation.”