Childhood cancer charity in plea for financial help
A Galway charity which supports families coping with childhood cancer has pleaded with the public for funding to ensure it does not have to turn anyone away.
The Hand in Hand Children’s Cancer Charity has launched an urgent appeal due to an unprecedented demand for their services. Up to 250 children are diagnosed with cancer each year in Ireland and the treatment often extends to years, putting a real strain on families.
The charity has been providing very practical help to families dealing with their cancer crisis since 2006. They aim to relieve some of the stress, anxiety and logistical difficulties faced by families who have a child undergoing treatment for cancer by engaging professional service providers for laundry, childcare, domestic cleaning and meals as well as providing emotional support.
The help gives families more precious time to spend with their children rather than trying to keep on top of household chores. It aims to minimise the impact that both the diagnosis and frequent long distance travel for treatment has on family life.
The charity is the only organisation that offers this type of practical support to children and their families in Ireland.
“Hand in Hand originally operated in the West of Ireland but due to the sheer demand for our services, we increased geographical coverage in the last 18 months and rolled out our services nationwide,” explained service manager Jennifer Carpenter.
“This expansion has put a strain on our already limited resources so now we find ourselves in a situation where we urgently require funds in order to meet this demand or we will have to turn away families. We receive absolutely no government funding and rely and operate solely on voluntary fundraising and donations.”
The charity recently opened Ireland’s first dedicated National Children’s Cancer Support Centre in Oranmore. The centre offers peer support groups for parents of children with cancer, peer support groups for parents who have been bereaved and sibling support programmes for the brothers and sisters of the children with cancer. The service is funded by the proceeds of a charity shop in the village run by Yulia Kenneally.
Hand in Hand was established by a group of volunteers who were inspired by a two-year-old Galway girl receiving treatment for leukaemia in Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Dublin.
It originally was aimed at supporting children with cancer in the West of Ireland who have the added dimension of travelling long distances to Dublin for their primary care and treatment.
In most cases there are other siblings to care for while parents or guardians travel to Dublin or to local hospitals to treat infections with their sick child.
Among those helped by Hand in Hand are the families of Galway school children Lily-Mae Morrisson and Grace Kenneally.
Donations can be made by logging onto iDonate or contact Áine on 091 483694 or email [email protected] for further details.