President Mary McAleese will officially open the long-awaited new Tuam Cancer Care support and information centre in the town next week.
The new centre, located in Cricket Court on the Dunmore Road, is managed by healthcare professionals experienced in cancer support, counselling, and complementary therapies, and staffed by a team of professionally trained support volunteers.
Tuam Cancer Care is a voluntary non-profit organisation which is mainly funded by voluntary contributions. The organisation has its origins in the early eighties when a group of Tuam women, diagnosed with breast cancer, came together to support each other. They realised that a diagnosis of cancer often leads to a crisis of the mind and spirit, as well as the body. These women laid the foundation for what is now Tuam Cancer Care Centre.
In the late 1990s Tuam Cancer Care Group identified the need for a range of cancer care support services in Tuam and the surrounding areas and, since these supports were not being provided by the health services, the group decided in 1999 to open a cancer support and information centre in rented premises in Tuam. This was one of the first cancer support centres in Co Galway. In 2009 the group took a significant step forward when it decided to develop a purpose built centre.
The centre is based on the same design model as the Maggies centres in Scotland and England. This model allows best care to be delivered in a homely but therapeutic environment. At the centre psychological, emotional, and practical support is offered to people going through a cancer experience. A cancer diagnosis can be very frightening, and for many people their world stops as a result of the trauma of a diagnosis. It is also a time of great uncertainty, not just for the person diagnosed but also his/her family.
The new centre offers a haven of peace and quiet while also being a hive of activity, and provides a variety of individual supports as well as numerous workshops and courses which address different aspects of cancer. It is hoped that the support provided will help people with a cancer diagnosis to regain control of their lives and enhance their personal coping skills during this difficult period. Family members are also supported through this difficult time. Bereavement support is also available for those who have lost a loved one to cancer.
No appointment is necessary to use the centre and all services are offered free of charge. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the service and all information shared with the support volunteers or staff is treated with complete confidence.
