‘I wanted to give something back as they helped so much’
Helen Gallagher’s husband Michael died in 2015 from cancer. A former bank employee, Helen has retrained and is now working in the pharmaceutical industry. She lives in Banbridge and has a son David (20) and a daughter Rachel (19). Helen and her husband used the counselling services at Cancer Focus NI and she also volunteers for the charity. She says:
Ido a few different volunteering duties including bag packs and collection events in various locations such as Dobbies in Lisburn and Victoria Square in Belfast, particularly at Christmas time.
I also volunteer at the Colour Runs and Slieve Donard climbs, as well as taking part in them.
I really wanted to give something back because Cancer Focus helped us so much.
These days it’s hard to find a family which hasn’t been affected by cancer and the charity needs as much fundraising as possible to help as many people as they can, and hopefully the small amount of volunteering I do can help in some way.
We received quite a few of the services that Cancer Focus NI provide. Both my husband and I availed of the counselling services before we lost him and I also had counselling after Michael died. They were two very different types of counselling based on our individual experiences and needs.
The family services were superb for my daughter who struggled with the uncertainty of the cancer diagnosis. She found it very difficult to cope with because we didn’t have the answers and family servic-
es were fantastic — in particular, Rachel Smith and the family nights which we went to for a long time after we lost Michael.
It isn’t an easy thing to volunteer as it reminds me of the circumstances that have led to my involvement with Cancer Focus NI. However, I don’t do it to get anything out of it.
I do it to try and help others. Although I find it hard at times, it can also be an enjoyable and extremely worthwhile experience. I feel like part of the ‘volunteer family’. It’s great to meet
the others and they seem to be a particular type of person.
I’ve met some very special people through volunteering. If you have the time and you want to help, that’s what volunteering is about.
I think Christmas can be a very difficult time for people who have been affected by cancer and for those who have lost someone, so it is a particularly poignant time to give something back and remember those who are still having to use the services provided by Cancer Focus NI.”