AN online fundraiser for a Johnstone man who died 13 years after receiving a new heart has raised more than £4,000 in just two weeks.

Marc McCay, 29, from Johnstone, died on September 20 at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after a more than a decade of fighting after catching a virus while on a family holiday as a teen.

The condition, called cardiomyopathy, is a chronic disease of the heart and affects the muscle’s ability to pump blood around the body. In Marc’s case, it caused his heart to grow three times too large, eventually leading to his organs shutting down.

Despite receiving a lifesaving heart transplant days before his 16th birthday, Marc passed away peacefully in the arms of his mother Linda, leaving behind his dad Norrie and six brothers and sisters.

Now, though, to spare his family the burden of funeral costs, generous locals and kind strangers have all banded together to raise the staggering sum which quickly rocketed into the thousands.

According to the site, the fundraising page was also shared over 1,300 times on Facebook.

Marc’s best friend, Paul Currie, who set up the page, described Marc as “one in a million” and said he was the type of person “who would give the shirt off his back if you needed it.”

He said as part of the campaign: “I am setting this page up to save the family the burden of funeral costs and also to raise awareness of what Marc and his family have gone through the last 13 years.”

Marc’s 27-year-old brother Daryl said the family has been “overwhelmed” with the outpouring of support from family, friends - and even strangers.

He said: “We weren’t expecting anything at all. The £5, £10, £20 donated has really made such a difference to the family at such a difficult time. We’re so grateful and it’s made things easier.

“It helped to cover the funeral costs, and anything left over will be going to the special advanced heart unit at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank.

“People who didn’t even know Marc felt the need to donate. The response has been fantastic.

“Now, it’s all really about trying to get the message out there about Marc’s illness. Shortly after he passed, three people got in touch to say they had registered to become organ donors. It was because of an organ donor that we got to spend another 13 years with Marc.”