Rutherglen’s Ashley Sneddon contracted necrotising fasciitis and has now just started a job at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit.Ashley Sneddon, 32, is newly-qualified with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde this year.(Image: ugc)

A Rutherglen woman who feels she was given a second chance at life after contracting the “flesh-eating bug” necrotising fasciitis, has devoted her future to helping others by becoming a nurse.

Ashley Sneddon, 32, is one of more than 500 newly-qualified nurses and midwives to have joined NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde this year.

She has just started a job at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit and is loving her new role – but she’s aware her life could have been very different.

Ashley, who is a single parent to a 10-year-old son, left school and went to college to study social care, but at the time the course wasn’t for her.

“At 18 I got a job at retail chain Iceland and worked there for 10 years, and while I enjoyed it, there was always a feeling I could do more with my life,” she said.

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In March 2020, just before lockdown, Ashley fell ill. She was diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis and spent three weeks in hospital, much of that time in critical care.

“The NHS basically saved my life,” she said, “and it was that experience that made me want to change direction.

“My recovery was fairly fast, but I do feel I was given a second chance at life and my illness left me looking at what I wanted to do with my future.”

Ashley decided helping others was the way she wanted to go so she went to college to complete an access course and then studied nursing at university.

Ashley Sneddon, front, with L-R – Kerri Fraser, Shannon O’Hagan, Natalie Foyer, Adriana Oksiejuk and Jenna Hambleton.(Image: ugc)

The National Spinal Injuries Unit is a service based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital that looks after people from all over Scotland who suffer spinal injury through trauma or illness, and during her university degree Ashley did a placement there.

“To be honest, I nearly missed the place when I first came here,” she said. “It’s such an unassuming building, and from the outside you’d never know the incredible work they do.

“I loved my time there, so I’m delighted that I’m back here working and beginning my career in this unit.

“My new colleagues are so lovely and supportive, and the opportunities to learn and improve my skills here are huge. After what’s happened to me I’m going to grab this chance with both hands!”

Ashley is one of a number of newly-qualified nurses who joined the National Spinal Injuries Unit this year, and lead nurse Helena Richmond said: “On behalf of everyone at the unit, I would like to welcome Ashley, and all our newly qualified nurses.

“Nursing is a wonderful profession, and I’ll look forward to working with them all and supporting them through this exciting early part of their careers.

“From my short time with them so far, this year’s intake seem a fantastic bunch. The learning opportunities here are immense and I have every confidence that they’ll quickly become highly valued members of the Spinal Injuries team.”

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After working in retail for so long, and then following her illness, Ashley said she is “so proud” to have succeeded in becoming a nurse.

She added: “I’d wanted to be a nurse, but I thought that after so many years out of education I wouldn’t be able to manage it.

“But there’s always a way – and if anyone else feels they want to achieve something great with their life, all I’d say is, if you really want it and give it your all, everyone can achieve their dream.”

To find out more about this year’s newly-qualified nurses, go to the NHSGGC website at www.nhsggc.scot/nhsggc-welcomes-more-than-500-newly-qualified-nurses-and-midwives/

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