In this powerful episode of Leaders in Business, host Marlene Lowe speaks with Amy Callaghan, former Member of Parliament for East Dunbartonshire and current Strategic Political Adviser at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. Amy's story is one of extraordinary resilience, marked by life-altering health events that redirected her path from teaching to politics to advocacy.

Amy's journey began at age 19 with a melanoma diagnosis that opened her eyes to health inequalities in the West of Scotland. This experience, combined with support from Teenage Cancer Trust, transformed her aspirations from becoming a teacher to entering politics to create systemic change. She witnessed firsthand how young people with cancer needed greater psychological and financial support, and how many preventable deaths resulted from health inequalities.

After working as a staffer in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood—which she describes as a "modern functioning parliament"—Amy stood for Westminster and achieved a remarkable victory in 2019, defeating the incumbent leader of a Westminster party by just 149 votes. However, her time as an MP was immediately challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a severe brain haemorrhage that left her navigating Parliament as a young woman with an acquired disability.

The conversation reveals the stark contrast between Holyrood and Westminster, particularly regarding accessibility and support for disabled MPs. Amy had to campaign for the basic right to a proxy vote whilst recovering from her brain injury—an experience she describes as "resentful" but one that left a positive legacy for future MPs with disabilities.

Amy speaks candidly about authentic leadership, distinguishing between showing up when you shouldn't (which she did) versus being true to yourself by acknowledging capacity limits. Her cyclical grief over her acquired disability, leadership challenges during the pandemic whilst consuming information simultaneously with constituents, and the pressure of being perceived as strong when feeling vulnerable paint a realistic picture of leadership under extraordinary circumstances.

Now at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Amy works on the very rehabilitation programme that helped her regain independence—including the seemingly small but profoundly significant goal of being able to put on her own bra so she could wear power suits in Parliament. The programme challenges outdated scientific evidence about stroke recovery timelines, proving that neuroplasticity continues far longer than previously believed.

The episode concludes with Amy's passionate call to protect democracy, encouraging listeners to research candidates thoroughly, align votes with personal values, and actively lobby their elected representatives. Her message is clear: every vote counts, and democracy requires active participation, not passive observation.