Eight million steps for Ian
The Brown family took on the challenge in memory of their son and brother, Ian, and to carry on his fundraising efforts for the Mercy Cancer Appeal.
By the end of the month, Ian’s parents, Carol and Roy, siblings, Chloe and Niall and their extended family had walked the eight million steps and raised a phenomenal €24,500 for the Mercy Cancer Appeal.
The funds raised by the Brown family will now help other cancer patients at the Mercy University (MUH) new Oncology Day Unit.
The Brown family were inspired by the €4,170 that Ian raised through his own fundraising campaign in December 2020 to mark his 28th birthday and to raise funds for cancer services at the Mercy, which he had availed of since receiving his own cancer diagnosis in July 2018.
Ian sadly passed away on 16 January and his family were quick to carry on his hope of helping other cancer patients at the Mercy.
Speaking about their motivation to support the Mercy Cancer Appeal, Ian’s sister, Chloe, said: “Without the help of the doctor’s nurses and staff at the Mercy, Ian would not have got the last few years that he did. No one knows what is around the corner and when they or their family will need the help of the amazing team at the Mercy.”
So far, the funds have been used to purchase two mobile oncology recliner chairs for the unit.
These chairs will help to provide maximum comfort and greater mobility for patients and will help to make an incredibly difficult time a little bit easier.
The new state of the art unit, in which they will be used, sees the transfer of St Therese’s Medical Oncology Day Service to the Lee Clinic, Lee Road.
The decision to transfer the service from its existing location in the Mercy University Hospital to a new unit in the Lee Clinic comes as the hospital continues to adapt to the current Covid-19 environment.
The transfer of the unit is in keeping with the recommendations of the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) who state that such units should preferably be kept separate due to the vulnerability of these patients during the ongoing pandemic.
MUH currently delivers 29 per cent of all new systemic drug therapies for oncology in the Cork/Kerry region and it is expected that demand for cancer services will continue to increase over the coming years.
Dr Derek Power, Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Mercy, said: “This new unit includes 16 private treatment spaces with separate triage and isolation areas, offering patients more privacy and space. Its location away from the main hospital, but virtually connected to it, mirrors how some of the top international oncology services are run.
“We are so grateful to be in a position to establish a facility like this right here in Cork.
“The increased capacity along with specialised oncology nursing staff and access to the latest drug therapies will massively benefit cancer patients at the Mercy and is a big step forward for Cork cancer services. We would like to thank the Brown family for the funds they have raised to purchase two new recliner chairs for the unit.”
Thanks to the support of the Mercy Cancer Appeal from people like Ian Brown and his family, the Mercy University Hospital Foundation together with Mercy University Hospital can continue to ensure that patients can receive the best possible care in a world-class facility.
Discussing the MUH Foundation’s involvement, CEO, Paschal McCarthy said: “We are delighted to be able to support the staff and patients in the new St Therese’s Oncology Day Unit.
“Funds raised through our Mercy Cancer Appeal will continue to help deliver the best possible care for cancer patients at the Mercy.
“Thanks to our many supporters, like the Brown family, we can continue working to make the experience of a cancer journey a little bit easier for patients and their loved ones.”
Those wishing to get involved and support the Mercy Cancer Appeal can find more information online at mercyhospitalfoundation.ie.