Tipperary counsellor’s personal experience helps those dealing with cancer
A Tipperary woman’s personal experience of cancer has helped shape her counselling of those dealing with the disease.
Eileen Kennedy (63), from Templetuohy says she is privileged to be secretary of the North Tipperary Hospice Movement. Volunteer Eileen provides counselling at the Suir Haven cancer support service in Thurles, a facility she helped establish 13 years ago. Eileen is among the nationwide army of Hospice heroes urging people to register to host a Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice.
This longstanding and much-loved national event, coordinated by Together for Hospice, takes place on Thursday, September 26. The North Tipperary Hospice Movement will avail of its new Roscrea premises for its soon to open cancer support service and office for a coffee morning on Friday, September 27.
The movement has similar centres at Suaimhneas in Nenagh as well as Suir Haven, with Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice events taking place in both localities. Eileen’s desire to volunteer to work for the sick was shaped on a trip to Lourdes as an ill teenager.
“A lovely lady with a very serious diagnosis of cancer was wheeled beside me,” said Eileen. “I call that ‘My Miracle of Lourdes’ because it prompted me to get on my feet to help.”
Her subsequent community involvement prompted the North Tipperary Hospice Movement to seek her out 15 years ago.
“I am immensely privileged to work with the North Tipperary Hospice Movement. Twelve years ago I was diagnosed with cancer.
“Helping people with cancer whilst you have it yourself gives you a great understanding of the fear they go through.
“I came out the other side of it but if I had a later diagnosis I would have been in serious trouble. I was very lucky.
“And it renewed my passion for helping with Hospice.
“We have set up support centres in Thurles and Nenagh with another to come in Roscrea.
“The North Tipperary Hospice Movement is unique in Ireland in that it has been providing a home care service for 33 years.
“I am helping out with the coffee morning for 25 years. The North Tipperary public has been very good to us and we raise over €40,000 a year through Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice.
“Families of those who have received a Cancer diagnosis are anxious to contribute in some way and our volunteers are wonderful and deserve huge thanks.
“Lots of workplaces get involved. It is important, as the Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice is the mainstay of our funding.
“But we would like younger people to get involved, so I would appeal to transition year secondary school students to help out.”
In north Tipperary, approximately 40 events will take place in the Nenagh area alone, co-ordinated by local man Paddy Heffernan. And in Thurles, Breda Kennedy and Mary O’Dwyer have organised their Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice at the County Bar on Thursday, September 26.
Together for Hospice, The National Hospice Movement, represents 24 Hospice and specialist palliative homecare providers supporting patients and their families across Ireland. Funds raised locally during Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice stay local and go directly to each local Hospice service to innovate, build new facilities, develop new services and deliver quality improvements and extra benefits for their patients and their family members.
Register to host a coffee morning on Thursday, September 26 – or on a date that suits you – at hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 0818 995 996.
If you cannot host or attend a coffee morning, you can make a donation at hospicecoffeemorning.ie/donate
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