By Andy Spearman
Drogheda Lions Club donate €7.5k for lymph scanner
The Oncology Department in Our Lady of Lourdes has a special place in the hearts of many people in Drogheda and much wider afield thanks to the wonderful care it provides for people attending for cancer treatment.
It’s not just the care the staff at OLOL provide but the manner in which they approach their work. From the moment you enter the door the atmosphere in the Oncology Unit is one of friendship and sincere welcome.
This friendship and care, well it amounts to love really, is a two –way thing as can be evidenced by the many thank-you cards, flowers and large presentation cheques, the type you see in newspaper photos, decorating the reception area.
With patients attending from all over Louth and all across the Northeast namely Meath, Monaghan, Cavan, and North County Dublin, the unit is as busy as it has ever been.
When I visited early one morning recently the staff were arriving for another day’s work which, I imagine, is quite different to most other people’s day. Already though, the mood was one of fun and smiles as the team prepared for the business of the day.
NECRET is a charitable organisation whose mission is to support the Oncology and Haematology Department by raising funds to improve the treatment and outcomes of people with cancer by supporting cutting edge treatment and care.
The most recent donation to NECRET took place earlier this week when the Drogheda Lions Club dropped by with a cheque for €6,464.50 that will be used to purchase a device used to monitor lymphedema, which is a lifelong condition causing major impacts on body function, image and quality of life.
Ciaran Briscoe from NECRET said they are deeply appreciative of the support from the Drogheda Lions Club and Professor Bryan Hennessy also thanked the Drogheda Lions Club for its very generous donation.
Lions Club members Marian Agrios and Franklin Fernandes present a cheque for €6,464.50 to Gráinne Kerr and Professor Bryan Hennessy of NECRET.
Professor Hennessy, who splits his time between Beaumont and Drogheda, is the current vice chair of the All-Ireland Co-operative Oncology Research Group, said: “The Oncology and Haematology Unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda has a multi-disciplinary team including doctors, nurses, pharmacist, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians, support workers, health care assistance and clerical officers.
“Their sole aim is to deliver high quality care to all patients and their families in a friendly environment and a key focus of NECRET is to support this team so they can do this to their fullest capacity”.
Senior Physiotherapist Gráinne Kerr who leads the physiotherapy service for Oncology patients commented “We are beyond grateful to the Drogheda Lions club for the purchasing of a Lymph scanner.
“This device will help us detect lymphoedema at the earliest opportunity in our patients as well as the monitoring and treatment of the condition. It will assist us in achieving the best management outcomes for our patients.”
If you would like to support NECRET’s cause, you can support one of their upcoming events which include its ever-popular Boyne Valley Camino taking place on Saturday July 22nd. This always a fun challenge to register for this beautiful countryside ramble email necret.info@gmail.com or text 086 7773294 with your full name, address, and mobile number.
Later in the year, the North-East’s biggest and best “Dip in the Nip” for women takes places on Sunday 10th of September. More event details and registration at https://www.necret.ie/dipintheNip
