Maureen Feeney was officially awarded MS Volunteer of the Year at the annual Multiple Sclerosis National Conference 2011, which took place in the Burlington Hotel.
The awards were presented at the gala dinner on Saturday night and mark the outstanding achievements of people living with and affected by MS. Awards were also presented for MS Person of the Year and MS Carer of the Year.
Maureen has been involved with the MS Society since her husband John was diagnosed with MS in 1975. Maureen was the sole carer for her husband during his illness as well as raising their family. During that time she was involved with the south Mayo branch and helped with many of their fundraising activities. In 2003 MS once again hit her on a personal level when Sharon, her daughter, was diagnosed with MS.
Maureen commented: “Winning this award has come as a surprise but I am delighted to have received it.”
Maureen became involved with the society on a national level when she was chosen as council representative, a position which she has held for over 10 years, providing an important link between the local branch in south Mayo and the national office. She has also been a member of the board of directors for a number of years.
Maureen has given large portions of her time to assisting branch members with a wide variety of activities from helping at day trips and functions to providing information for people newly diagnosed with MS, and their families. She has also been a point of contact for members and has assisted them in securing a service that would improve their quality of life.
Allen O’Connor, chairman, MS Ireland said: “Maureen has worked tirelessly for people with MS, both on a local and national level, providing support to those with MS and their families. She is a very deserving recipient of this award.”
Over 8,000 people have MS in Ireland, with thousands more family members affected.
