The management team at Funeral Partners Northern Ireland raised more than £2,500 for Hope House Ireland with a 10km sponsored walk.
Their efforts were inspired by Regional Support Manager Emma-Jayne McClure, who spent a weekend at Hope House Ireland’s accommodation with her husband last year, in the midst of her battle with breast cancer.
Based in Browns Bay, between Carrickfergus and Larne, Hope House Ireland offers people with cancer and their families a free break in a beautiful location.
Emma-Jayne’s stay came shortly after her final chemotherapy session, following a referral to the charity by a colleague.
“Chemotherapy takes it out of you, and I was feeling really quite poorly. However, the weekend was just what I needed.
“When you’re living with cancer, you have to juggle your health issues, your life at home, all the hospital appointments, and, for me, putting on a brave face in front of my daughter.
“Having some time at Hope House meant I didn’t have anything else to worry about for those four days except my health. It also gave me the chance to have conversations with my husband that we simply hadn’t had the opportunity to have in recent weeks.”
Emma-Jayne used the stay as a mental reset, reflecting on her chemotherapy journey and preparing for her upcoming surgery, which removed the cancer.
Shortly after the procedure, she joined her colleagues at Funeral Partners for the 10km sponsored walk through Antrim Castle Gardens.
“Truthfully, I didn’t know whether I was going to be able to do it,” Emma-Jayne said.
“But once again, it was another milestone to aim for, and I was so proud to complete it and give something back to the charity.”
“One of my biggest worries was finances, because you just don’t know what’s around the corner, and that means you don’t want to commit any money towards a short break.
“If we can help the charity continue to offer this service for free, then it was definitely worth it.”
Since the walk, Emma has continued radiotherapy and immunotherapy treatment with the aim of preventing the cancer from returning.
“It has been difficult, but I have tried to have a positive mindset throughout.”
Hope House Founder Trustee Dawn McConnell BEM said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Emma-Jayne and to all her colleagues who took part in the sponsored walk.
“We were truly overwhelmed to receive the fantastic amount of £2,600 which will go towards the running costs of Hope House.
“We could not provide these free recuperation breaks without the amazing Hope Champions who fundraise for us, as we depend totally on public donations.
“We are so grateful for this support which will help us continue to provide rainbows of Hope to help people cope who are navigating their way through a cancer journey.”
For more information about Hope House Ireland go to https://hopehouseireland.org/
