Palliative Care Unit - Dungarvan Community Hospital.

Healing and Wheeling in Dungarvan

BUT… for a good cause, I’m going to Try-a-Triathlon!

For Dungarvan Community Hospital - Palliative Unit

In Memory of My Wonderful Dad

My beautiful Dad, my true friend, passed away last year, just a month and a day after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He spent his final two weeks in the Palliative Care Unit in Dungarvan Community Hospital, and while losing him was the hardest thing I’ve ever faced, the care and love he received there gave him a peaceful, dignified place to let go. The staff supported not just him but our entire family in those precious last days, we could hold Dad in pure love to support and really be with him on his last journey. I want to give back to this incredible place that offered us so much during such a painful time.

A Personal Challenge

It’s all about telling the story or so I’m told! I hope to raise as much as possible for that amazing place. I had a stroke at 40, was bed-bound for a year, and had both knees replaced by 50. Just as I came home from my second knee surgery, Dad called with news of his diagnosis. We rushed to Ireland, where I stayed with Mum after Dad’s passing. Every day, I rode Dad’s beloved electric bike along the Greenway and Clonea beach, finding healing in nature and in the connections I made along the way. It was a raw, emotional time, but also filled with moments of beauty and peace.

Why a Triathalon?

One evening, I watched a group of people, carefree and peaceful, swim in the sea. I’d never swum in the sea before, too scared of the cold and what might be lurking beneath the waves. But something in me shifted, and I had a crazy idea: I’ll do the Dungarvan Triathlon! I signed up on a whim, deciding to dedicate this challenge to Dad and the amazing Dungarvan Community Hospital.

A Daunting Task!

This is a huge challenge for me. I could barely manage one length of a pool before needing to stop. I’ve never ridden a racing bike, and with two new knees and a long hiatus from exercise, this won’t be easy. But I’m blessed to be alive and have this precious life, so I’m going for it. It won’t be fast, but I know I’ll finish.

Please Support Me

I don’t usually ‘do’ social media, so sharing this is a big step for me. Please, help me raise as much as possible for the Palliative Unit, Dungarvan Community Hospital. Let’s increase awareness that even when life is tough, we can push through, and that nature is the greatest healer.

With love and big thanks,

Jaq x

Wheeling & Healing in Dungarvan

❤️☺️❤️