Run from Galway Hospice to Tuam will raise funds for cancer care

By JACQUELINE HOGGE TWO and a half years after losing her husband to cancer, a Tuam woman is to honour his memory by running over 23 miles in aid of Galway Hospice. Carmel Cunniffe will be joined by four friends as she runs from Renmore to Tuam on Saturday, March 16 to honour her late husband John, who passed away in September 2011 at the age of 42. Having been nursed through the final 13 months of his illness by a team of dedicated hospice nurses, Johnâ€â„¢s family were keen to honour the care and compassion shown to them in a worthy manner.[private] â€Å“I first came into contact with the hospice seven years ago when my mother passed away to cancer,â€Â said Carmel. â€Å“Little did I know that four years later, I would need their help and support again for John. â€Å“The amazing thing was that the team of nurses who cared for my mother were the same ladies who looked after John. They are amazing people who donâ€â„¢t seek any praise or recognition for what they do, but they became a part of our family at a time when they were the only ones who could help, not only John but myself and my children, Ger, Dean and Alex too. â€Å“I had it in my mind that I wanted to give something back for a long time and in the months after Johnâ€â„¢s death I knew I had to focus on something, rather than be looking at the same four walls day after day. â€Å“So I decided to join a running class and through that I made the friends who will do this run with me. â€Å“Therese, Martina and myself have been training since last September, while Loretta and Lorraine are more seasoned runners, and weâ€â„¢ve been making steady progress over the past few months. â€Å“Last weekend we ran 20 miles, which was our greatest test so far, and weâ€â„¢re feeling great and really looking forward to raising as much money as we can for such a worthy cause. â€Å“Weâ€â„¢ve a group who are going to meet us at Corofin Cross and join us on the last ten miles of the run, so that will be a big boost to us on the day. â€Å“Weâ€â„¢re not looking for huge donations but if we could get €2 from every household in the county, it would make a massive difference to the hospice. â€Å“Cancer unfortunately affects everyone in some shape or form and while Iâ€â„¢m running this for John, Iâ€â„¢m hoping to support the work the hospice does throughout Galway, not just here in Tuam.â€Â John was diagnosed with cancer of the lung and liver in August 2010 and despite being given a mere 12 weeks to live, he fought his illness with dignity and determination, surrounded by his family at home in Ballymote. â€Å“The nurses became our friends, who gave far more than their professional care to John. They gave him friendship and compassion and were here at the house every morning, apart from the times John would go into the hospice in Renmore for respite care. â€Å“When cancer is on your doorstep, the role these ­people play is amazing. They were always there at the end of the phone for advice and the days when John was feeling good they would leave us to get on with family life, as spending time with the children was all he wanted to do.â€Â Carmel and her family launched the event, which theyâ€â„¢ve called A Day for Sniffer after the nickname by which John was widely known, in Tuam last Friday. â€Å“We had a great night and weâ€â„¢re really encouraged by the support people are showing us,â€Â said Carmel. â€Å“Myself and the girls train twice or three times a week and itâ€â„¢s funny in the past six months weâ€â„¢ve only got caught out in the rain once, so we think John is keeping an eye on us.â€Â The run takes place on what would have been Johnâ€â„¢s 44th birthday and coincides with Tuamâ€â„¢s St Patrickâ€â„¢s Day festival, during which a special Harlem Shake dance event will be held, with proceeds also going to the Galway Hospice. Derek Cassidy of Tuam Voluntary Force, who is organising the event, said when friends of John heard about Carmelâ€â„¢s run, they wanted to do something to honour his memory too. â€Å“Weâ€â„¢ve yet to tie down a venue, but itâ€â„¢s going ahead on Saturday March 16 and weâ€â„¢re hoping that everyone taking part will donate €2,â€Â he said. â€Å“Weâ€â„¢ll also have a bucket collection on the day and are hoping for a great turnout for something that will be a lot of fun and will raise money for such a worthwhile cause.â€Â Michael Craig, fundraising manager with Galway Hospice, said fundraising events such as A Day for Sniffer, are vital to the continuation of work done by the hospice team. â€Å“In the current climate there is less and less money out there but we still rely on fundraising for the €1.5 million we need every year to keep our services running,â€Â he said. â€Å“We receive 96 per cent funding from the HSE for our bed costs, but everything else comes from voluntary donations. â€Å“Itâ€â„¢s not until people come into contact with the hospice that they appreciate the work being done to support patients and their families. â€Å“Last year our home care team paid 5,345 visits to patients in their homes, while there were 1,170 visits to our day care unit. â€Å“So weâ€â„¢re very grateful to Carmel and her friends for taking on this challenge and will happily accept any money raised in Johnâ€â„¢s name.â€Â Information evening An information evening will be held this evening (Wednesday) at the Ard Ri House Hotel in Tuam at 8 pm where former Galway hurler Joe Connolly will speak on the work Galway Hospice does. A local family will also speak of their experience of the hospice and tea and coffee will be served.[/private]