Athlone GP urges support for Hospice coffee morning
A semi-retired Athlone GP who worked tirelessly to open the doors of South Westmeath Hospice is encouraging the public to get involved in Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning.
This longstanding and much-loved national event, coordinated by Together for Hospice, takes place on September 26.
The South Westmeath Hospice Foundation was established in 1994 and following extensive fundraising efforts, opened its doors in 2010.
Dr Tony Lowry was a member of the founding committee who, alongside his fellow board members, helped to bring the project to fruition.
He has remained a constant and consistent advocate, mentor and supporter of South Westmeath Hospice.
It was Dr Lowry’s personal and professional experience that initially inspired him to get involved in the project.
“One of my friends lost his wife to cancer and I’m also a GP who had seen a young terminally ill patient in a local district hospital,” he said.
“The nurses were very good and the care was very good, but the environment wasn’t really appropriate - it was for the elderly and infirm and didn’t seem like the right place for a young person in that stage of their illness to be looked after.
“We got together to start a fundraising committee and, really, you’re pushing an open door with hospice.
“People want to help and get involved and there was a really big effort from the community.”
The committee’s vision was to provide a service for people in the area so that families could walk to see the patients, rather than driving or taking public transport.
“It was very well appreciated in the community, and consequently, people are continually fundraising and supporting us,” he said.
“We developed a garden outside that the clients and families can use. It’s very important that people have dignity at that time in their lives.
“The nurses in the unit are just fantastic, as are palliative care nurses in the community. They’re the heroes really, along with the families.”
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