“I visit Ethna once a week and we have a chat over tea and cake. She’s bedbound at the moment, but sharp as a tack”
Gary and Ethna
As the festive season arrives, one charity is urging people to give what they can to help care for those at the end of life this Christmas.
Shoppers gathered in Belfast last weekend to be among the first to visit the newly opened Belfast Christmas Market and the annual Christmas lights switch-on at City Hall.
Amid the crowds, volunteers for leading end of life charity, Marie Curie, were out in festive force asking people not to forget those needing palliative and end of life care this Christmas.
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One of those volunteering was Gary Stevenson, 32, from East Belfast, who delighted passers-by in a jolly Santa costume.
He said: “It’s certainly a departure from my normal attire! But I’m keen to do my bit to bring some Christmas cheer to [the] fundraising collection.
“For people at the end of life and those closest to them, Christmas can be one of the hardest times of the year. A small donation to Marie Curie will help provide the care and support they need and enable them to enjoy what might be their last Christmas together.”
Gary Stevenson as Santa
Gary, who works as a special needs classroom assistant, has been volunteering with Marie Curie for twelve years. Alongside time spent fundraising for the charity, Gary also volunteers as a companion to people living with a terminal illness.
Marie Curie Companions are trained volunteers who provide emotional and practical support to people at the end of life, and their families, in person and over the phone.
Gary added: “I’m a companion to a 97-year-old lady called Ethna. Most of her family live in England so, as well as a bit of company, she needed some help with practical things like gardening.
“I visit Ethna once a week and we have a chat over tea and cake. She’s bedbound at the moment, but sharp as a tack, so she loves to hear all about what I’ve been up to each week. It’s a great privilege to be able to provide her with some company for her well-being and I get a lot out of it, too.”
Marie Curie cares for people with any illness they are likely to die from including Alzheimer’s (and other forms of dementia), heart, liver, kidney and lung disease, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, and advanced cancer.
The charity is dependent on public donations so that its Nurses and healthcare assistants can provide expert end of life care to people at home, in their hospices, and through it’s free Support Line (0800 090 2309) and webchat.
Ciara Gallagher, Head of Fundraising for Marie Curie NI, said: “Sadly we know that terminal illness will touch hundreds of families across Northern Ireland this Christmas. We want to be able to reach as many of those families as possible and it’s the generosity of our communities which makes this possible.
“We’re urging people to support our collections or host their own festive fundraiser over the coming weeks, whether it’s a coffee morning with mince pies, a Christmas quiz or, if you’re brave enough, a cold-water dip! Every £200 raised could help fund nine hours of overnight nursing care, which can help bring comfort to someone in their final days at home. Your efforts will help us to be there for more people, and those close to them, to the very end.”
To find out more about how you can support the Marie Curie Christmas Appeal and give care, comfort and joy this Christmas visit: mariecurie.org.uk/christmas or email northernireland@mariecurie.org.uk
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