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Susie Long Facebook

Susie Long Hospice Fund set to open six palliative care beds in Kilkenny

The SLHF eventually wants to open a 12-bed hospice in St Luke’s Hospital.

SIX STATE-OF-THE ART palliative care beds are to be opened in St Luke’s Hospital General Hospital in Kilkenny.

The Susie Long Hospice Fund (SLHF) has provided €50,000 for the new specialist beds, equipment and furnishings.

The Fund was set up in October 2007 to honour Susie Long who died from bowel cancer at the age 41.

Susie’s husband Conor Mac Liam and their two children, Áine and Fergus, have welcomed the new facilities at St Luke’s.

“As a family, we are relieved and delighted to see the new facilities for palliative care patients and their families.

If these beds were available when Susie needed full-time care towards the end of her life, it would have been a great comfort to her and our family.

“This is real progress for patients and it’s a step closer to the day when we will open the full 12-bed hospice in Susie’s memory in Kilkenny,” Mac Liam said.

Raising money and awareness

Chairman of the SLHF Fund Tommy Roche said the group is “delighted to provide support to palliative care patients” in the hospital.

Roche thanked the hospital’s management and staff  for “their ongoing commitment to palliative care patients in Carlow and Kilkenny”.

The SLHF has raised over €688,000 to date, as well as awareness of the need for hospice care for patients throughout the country.

“It is thanks to the generosity of the people who donated to the Susie Long Hospice Fund that palliative care patients will now see real benefits. We look forward to the day when we return to St Luke’s to open the permanent 12-bed hospice,” Roche stated.

The group will soon fund a family area in the hospital.

Junior Minister Ann Phelan, a TD for the Carlow-Kilkenny constituency, will officially unveil the new beds at the hospital at 11am on 10 October.

Read: New palliative care unit in Kilkenny announced by Susie Long Hospice Fund

Read: Children’s hospice LauraLynn to begin providing home care

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10 Comments
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    Mute Larry K
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    Oct 1st 2014, 2:01 PM

    50,000 raised and sone good done. loads of good people involved. A really positive memorial

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    Mute Ann Mahon
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    Oct 1st 2014, 7:58 PM

    Palliative care, makes a huge difference to families . My beloved son Tom received it before he passed away from Dr Emmet Walls and team in St Luke’s and Waterford Hospital. Well done to all the fundraisers . Shame on the successive Governments for failing to provide a Hospice for the South East ! People deserve to die with dignity .

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Oct 1st 2014, 8:20 PM

    Ann I’m sorry to hear you lost your beloved son, something no mum should have to bear, sending you my ❤️.

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    Mute Ann Mahon
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    Oct 1st 2014, 10:35 PM

    Thank you Joan xx

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    Mute stephen
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    Oct 1st 2014, 4:04 PM

    Joe Duffy, did some brilliant work on behalf of the Susie Long foundation and think he deserves a mention.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Oct 1st 2014, 4:35 PM

    People like this do more for healthcare in Ireland than any Gov. body of cronies.

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    Mute Cliff Walker
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    Oct 1st 2014, 4:23 PM

    Mayo Roscommon Hospice are also opening a hospice in Castlebar which is great news they have been fundraising for years

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    Mute Fox Trot
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    Oct 1st 2014, 4:22 PM

    He also filled a lot of air time because of her.

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    Mute Denis Reidy
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    Oct 1st 2014, 4:33 PM

    go away

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    Mute Joe
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    Oct 1st 2014, 2:03 PM

    Great stuff

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