Rosscarbery’s Darragh is chosen as a Mercy Hero to help with fundraising

A ROSSCARBERY boy is one of four Cork ‘heroes’, all patients at the Mercy University Hospital, who last week joined probationer firefighters from Cork City Fire Brigade to announce details of Mercy Heroes 2022 fundraising appeal.

The fundraiser will take place on Friday, October 21st in aid of the Mercy Kids & Teens Appeal. Last Friday the newest recruits to Cork City Fire Brigade undertook a fundraising mission which saw them do a bucket collection as they pushed and pulled a vintage fire truck through Cork City, finishing at the Mercy University Hospital.

Before they set off from Cork City Fire Station on Anglesea Street, the firefighters gave a tour of the station to Darragh Anderson from Rowry Bridge, Dunmanway, along with his fellow patients Noah, Denis and Calvin – the four faces of this year’s Mercy Heroes campaign.

These brave little heroes are asking the people of Cork to join them and become a fellow Mercy Hero on October 21st and help support the youngest patients at the Cork city centre hospital.

Funds raised through Mercy Heroes will support services like Poons (Paediatric Oncology Outreach Nursing Service). This service, the only one of its kind in Ireland, allows children with cancer to receive vital treatment in the comfort of their own home, helping to cut back on hospital visits and provide support to families during such a difficult time.

It has provided immeasurable support for some of Cork’s youngest patients and their families over the last number of years, with 45 families using the service in 2021 alone.

Olga Buckley, paediatric oncology/ haematology nurse at The Mercy said that being able to deliver a home-based option to sick children has helped enhance their quality of life and allowed for some normalisation of family life during cancer treatment. ‘Since Covid hit, it has become absolutely necessary as our young cancer patients are considered within the critically vulnerable group as their treatment, including chemotherapy, causes immunosuppression,’ she said. ‘Poons helps to cut back on the amount of time these patients need to spend in the hospital and gives them the opportunity to receive their treatment at home.’

In 2021, the Mercy Poons nurses travelled over 23,600km to provide an incredible 550 home visits to families. It costs the Mercy Hospital Foundation €30,000 each year to continue to keep this service mobile.

On October 21st, the public can make a donation online at www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie, or by joining forces with friends, family or colleagues to host a coffee morning.

Schools around Cork are also being encouraged to join in the fun by holding a dress up/dress down day to support these young heroes.

To become a Mercy hero on Friday October 21st, sign up at www.mercyhospitalfoundation.ie.