Co Antrim woman on how charity was a lifeline during mum's cancer diagnosis

Gemma Ferris and her mum, Heather Armstrong.
-Credit: (Image: Submitted)


A woman from Co Antrim has shared her experience and the impact a charity had on her family when her mum was diagnosed with cancer five years ago.

Gemma Ferris from Carrickfergus said Friends of the Cancer Centre were a "lifeline" to their family when her mum, Heather Armstrong, was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019 and advanced leukaemia a year later.

The charity helped provide support, both practical and emotional, to the family and ensured Heather was well-looked after during her two years of treatment in and out of hospital.

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The charity, which is based at the heart of the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital, has been supporting local people with cancer and their families for over 39 years. Friends of the Cancer Centre does this by funding additional nurses, supporting local research, raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, and providing practical support, such as financial grants, which help families through a difficult time.

Gemma said: "My mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2019 and advanced leukaemia in April 2020. When she was admitted to hospital in 2020, we couldn’t visit her because of Covid restrictions.

"I worried about her constantly as she faced weeks of treatment by herself. In all mum spent about two years in and out of hospital for treatment and during that time Friends of the Cancer Centre were a lifeline.

"The care that mum received by the doctors, clinical nurse specialists and nurses – many of the roles funded by the charity – was second to none. That care also extended to spending time with mum and when she was in hospital over Christmas and we were unable to visit her due to lockdown, they provided Christmas presents for all the patients.

"She also benefited from the complementary therapies provided by the charity. These gave mum a real boost and knowing that she was so well looked after, gave me great peace of mind."

Gemma (in Friends of the Cancer Centre T-shirt) has actively raised funds for the charity and took part in the Slieve Donard Climb last September with her friend, Kelly Davidson.
Gemma (in Friends of the Cancer Centre T-shirt) has actively raised funds for the charity and took part in the Slieve Donard Climb last September with her friend, Kelly Davidson. -Credit:Submitted

Gemma said the charity covered the cost of the family's parking for each visit, and provided a room for relatives to use with tea and coffee on tap.

"That was a game-changer as I was always worried about disappearing to the canteen and missing an opportunity of speaking to the medical staff who were treating mum," she added.

"The visits could be emotionally draining and sometimes I felt too exhausted to even think about getting a cup of tea, so having it readily available was a great help. As a family we spent a lot of time in the Cancer Centre so the books and magazines in the family room, all provided by the charity, were a lovely touch and helped to make each visit more comfortable."

All in all, Gemma said the charity helped lift all their spirits during a very difficult time. She said: "When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer it can feel very overwhelming. You want to do all you can help, but you often feel powerless and out of your depth.

"Every time we visited the Cancer Centre, seeing a friendly face made a world of difference. The team are so positive and helped to lift our spirits on more than one occasion. I don’t know how we would have got through the experience without their support.

"The practical support they provide is amazing, but they are also investing in research to provide better outcomes for many local people diagnosed with cancer. I can’t praise their work highly enough!"

It comes as Belfast based law firm A&O Sherman have raised £45,800 for the charity through a two-year community fundraising and volunteering partnership.

The donation amount could enable Friends of the Cancer to provide 1,200 hours of specialist nursing care, support 60 local families with grants to alleviate the financial challenges a cancer diagnosis can bring, and provide almost 3,500 cups of tea and coffee for those attending the centre.

Simon Wagstaff, managing director, technology services and social impact champion at A&O Shearman, said: “More than 26 people in Northern Ireland are diagnosed with cancer every day. The work of the charity and this partnership received huge support from colleagues as so many of us have been impacted by cancer.

“Colleagues were committed to fundraising, but they also gave the gift of time by using their two-days’ volunteering leave to support the charity. More than 150 colleagues assisted at events, participated in street collections across Northern Ireland, supported the efforts of the local fundraising support groups, and organised their own events, clocking up almost 450 hours of volunteering."

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