Last year, due to Covid-19, the Irish Cancer Society had to cancel their annual fundraiser and move online for a #DigitalDaffodilDay. One year on and we have arrived at yet another online event. To mark the occasion, we're looking back at a piece written by Night Nurse Hilary Gough.
Daffodil Day is a major fundraising event that directly impact on the services the Irish Cancer Society provides. This includes Night Nurses, who care for cancer patients at home and in the last weeks and days of their lives.
Here, Night Nurse Hilary Gough speaks about her work and the importance of #DigitalDaffodilDay.
I decided to become a Night Nurse 23 years ago. Once I did one night, I knew it was for me – I thought was a lovely job, and felt privileged to be welcomed into people’s homes during such a difficult time in their lives.
It’s not an easy job, but it’s incredibly rewarding to know that we make a difference to our patients and their families – whether it’s making someone comfortable when they’re in pain, answering a difficult question that’s been on their minds, or being told by family member that my presence made a difference in their journey with illness.
It’s hard to go into a home where a young mother or small children are dying from cancer. Every home has their own personal tragedy, but these are the cases I struggle with most.
The nature of the job means it’s important to take time to process things. After a shift, I might have a cup of tea, while other times I’ll go straight to bed, or take the dog for a walk to clear my head. I think about the patients a lot, but when I get a text to let me know that someone has passed, I take comfort knowing their suffering has finished.
After doing this job for so long, I try to make the most of life, because I’ve come to realise that some people are denied the chance to live a long and full life.
We couldn’t do what we do without Daffodil Day donations. The funding is so important to us and the public have always been so generous. We simply couldn’t go into homes to help patients and their families without their support."
For years, your donations have paid for Ireland’s Night Nurses to provide this vital and valued service. That’s why we’d hugely value your support for the Irish Cancer Society’s "Digital Daffodil Day".
