Jean Wainwright, the Perth woman left in a coma in Cuba after a cycling accident, has died without regaining consciousness.
In an emotional interview with The Courier, her husband Jim revealed how he wished he had not encouraged her to go to Cuba, but how he has taken comfort knowing she died doing something she loved.
His wife was accompanied in an air ambulance by their son Robert to Florida, where her treatment was discontinued. She died at 7.30am on Sunday. Rob, the former Scotland rugby captain, was with his mother when she died.
“Jean never came out of the coma,” said Mr Wainwright. “We were all totally agreed as a family that she would not have wanted to continue like that, not being able to live as she would have wanted to.”
Heartbreakingly, Mr Wainwright and the couple’s daughters Holly, Sasha, Alison and Joanna were prevented from boarding the emergency flight to the United States.
“The air ambulance could only take one passenger, and my son Robert went with my wife,” said Mr Wainwright. “We could not follow as there were no direct flights from Havana to Florida.
“My wife had massive brain damage. We asked the doctors in Cuba to discontinue treatment, but this was not allowed under their regulations.
“The medical people in America later confirmed what the Cuban doctors had already told us. When they discontinued life support they expected her to survive only a few hours, but she was so fit and put up such a struggle she survived another 20 hours.”
Mr Wainwright was able to say more on the accident thta befell his wife while she was nearing the end of a CTC group cycling tour of Cuba.
He said, “She was cycling by herself when she apparently had a black-out. There was nothing wrong with the road surface, and when the group came across her she still had one hand on the handlebars, and her leg over the frame, as if she had fallen very slowly.Fall”The medical investigation also seemed to indicate that she made no effort to cushion her fall.”
Mrs Wainwright’s accident took place around 100km from Havana.
She was treated at a local hospital before being transferred to Calixto Garcia Hospital in the Cuban capital.
“The doctors there were wonderful and very sympathetic,” added Mr Wainwright. “My son and daughters were also fantastic and a terrific help to me and to each other.”
Mrs Wainwright (75), from Gannochy in Perth, was a well-known sports enthusiast who excelled late in life as a distance runner.
A prominent member of Perth Road Runners, she became the first British woman to finish marathons on all seven continents.
Jim Wainwright is the former warden of Glenalmond College.
He said, “We loved our cycling trips. I encouraged her to go to Cuba. I wish I hadn’t now, but she was very keen. She loved CTC tours.
“She ran to keep fit, but she cycled for enjoyment and to meet people. We have the very great consolation knowing that she died doing something she really loved.”
Mrs Wainwright’s body will be repatriated to Scotland, and a service of thanksgiving at Glenalmond College will follow her funeral in Perth at a later date.