Olive honours deceased daughter with hospice fundraising drive
An Offaly mother who lost her daughter to ovarian cancer says hospice services which can be accessed at all hours are a great comfort to those who have a loved one with a life-limiting illness.
Olive Murray continues to hold annual coffee mornings for the Offaly Hospice Foundation, which she organised with her nurse daughter Vanessa before she succumbed to cancer at the age of 30.
Over the last 30 years, the events have grown so successful that Olive has had to relocate the fundraiser from her home in Leamonaghan to the lounge of the local bar, Gussie's in Ballycumber.
She is now asking others to register to host a coffee morning on Thursday, September 22 as part of the Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning Social for Hospice at www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie or by calling 0818 995 996.
The nationwide event, which has raised over €41.5 million since its inception, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Olive has managed to stage the event without fail each year, despite being a busy mum to her five children and 52 foster children.
"I started holding the coffee mornings in 1992 in my house for the first few years but then the event got so big, we relocated to Gussie's Pub and Shop in the village.
"The first year, we thought we were brilliant making €60 but now, with the help of the Mellas Women's Club in organising the events, we are making up to €3000 for the hospice in the few hours that it's on.
"These services are so important because death hits us all. My husband Jim and I lost Vanessa to ovarian cancer in 1999.
"She was just 20 when she was diagnosed, but unfortunately, after a ten-year battle, she passed away. She was a nurse who helped me in the first few years of the coffee mornings.”
Together for Hospice, The National Hospice Movement, represents 26 hospice and specialist palliative home care providers supporting patients and their families nationwide.
Funds raised locally stay local and go back into each local hospice service, helping to pay for medical and nursing staff, palliative care beds, home care visits, specialist equipment and new hospice builds.
"Every year, we meet someone different at the coffee morning who has lost a loved one. We find at that people like to talk about their experience, despite their grief, with others who have gone through similar losses.”
"People have so many questions and the Hospice services can answer them. Often at night, when people are with a loved one, they find comfort in knowing that they can pick up the phone and ask what to do.
“The staff are a back-up to those people who otherwise might feel alone and panicked on how to help."
Register to host a coffee morning on Thursday, September 22, or on a date that suits you, at: www.hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call-save 0818 995 996. Hosts are provided with a free Coffee Morning Pack containing Bewley’s coffee, posters and invitations.