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‘Buy a Daff today’
23.03.07
AN ESTIMATED 784 people in Donegal developed cancer
last year, figures from the Irish Cancer Society
show.
The Society holds its annual Daffodil Day fundraiser
today, March 23, to raise funds for vital services
including the provision of night nurses, cancer
liaison nurses and specialist homecare teams.
Donegal Daffodil Day volunteers raised €70,616 of
the €3.3 million collected nationally last year. |
The figures show that
€1.5m was spent on the Society’s night nursing
service of which ten Donegal families availed in
2006. The service allows patients remain at home
with the support of a night nurse when they are very
ill.
Meanwhile, €850,000 funded the employment of 23
hospital-based cancer liaison nurses, one of whom
was employed in Letterkenny General Hospital last
year. |
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Donegal Daffodil Day monies helped fund the
provision of cancer homecare teams in the county
last year to the tune of €76,500.
‘Daff Day’ donations also fund the National Cancer
Helpline on Freefone 1800 200 700 which is staffed
by cancer care nurses offering advice, information
and support. The helpline received almost 10,000
calls last year, of which 136 were from Donegal.
Other services funded by the Society are bursaries
for nurses undertaking a higher diploma in oncology
nursing; an education programme for hospital and
community nurses and a play specialist for the
children’s cancer unit in Our Lady’s Hospital for
Sick Children.
Irish Cancer Society head of fundraising, Jill
Clarke, told InishowenNews.com: “Daffodil Day
volunteers in County Donegal raised €70,616 in 2006
and we hope that they will exceed that figure this
year.
“They always put in a tremendous effort so we ask
all people living in this wonderful county to
support them by buying a daff on Friday, March
23rd.” |
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