Rock of support for cancer sufferers

Rock of support


Launched ten years ago, Mayo Cancer Support Association provides great support to people affected by the disease

Anton McNulty

LOCATED across the road from Mayo General Hospital, Rock Rose House looks like all the other houses in St Patrick’s Avenue. When you step inside it has that homely atmosphere but for the last decade this unique building has been a place of support and encouragement for thousands of people whose lives have been turned on their head.
For years people who have were diagnosed with cancer had nowhere to turn to for support during and after their treatment and felt alone and abandoned. To provide for their needs, Mayo Cancer Support Association was launched in 2000 offering a professional listening, counselling, non-judgemental, support service to persons affected by cancer.
Modelled on ARC House in Dublin’s Mater Hospital, Mayo Cancer Support was initially located at the Family Centre in Castlebar before demand for the growing service led to the need to move to Rock Rose House at 32, St Patrick’s Avenue, Castlebar in 2003.
Each year, the demand for its service continues to grow with 1,522 consultancies taking place in 2009 alone, an increase of 120 on the previous year. For the last five years, Angela Kirrane has been the Manager of Rock Rose House and she explained that despite the increased awareness of cancer, the word still strikes fear into the public.
“When people are first diagnosed they are shocked and don’t hear anything but the word cancer,” she told The Mayo News. “When they come in here we try to calm people down and make them a cup of tea and go over what was said in the hospital. It may not be as bad as they thought in the beginning because there is treatment out there and there are very good outcomes but they don’t think that when they first hear the word cancer. They think ‘that’s it, I’m finished’.
“The diagnosis of cancer can have an awful affect psychologically and emotionally on a person and on the whole family. People think their loved ones are going to die and they are on eggshells around each other. Everyone is afraid but nobody is saying anything because they don’t know how to talk to each other,” Angela explained.
The services offered at Rock Rose House include professional counselling services, a confidential listening service, reflexology, aromatherapy, massage, life coaching, stress management and wig service. All the services are provided free of charge but with a staff of seven they are constantly fundraising to cover the running of the service and the cost of the house.
Angela revealed that while it is a constant battle to raise money, they have always received great support from the public. They have a major fundraising effort running every month and in the past year they raised €30,000 from the Women’s Mini-Marathon, €25,000 from Fibs for Phones and €10,000 from the Malin to Mizen cycle challenge.
Since Rock Rose House was established, Mayo General Hospital has seen many of its cancer treatment services transferred to the Centre of Excellence in University College Hospital, Galway. This was, according to Angela, a disappointing development for the people of Mayo but she said a number of people do come from Galway when their treatment is finished. She said that this time is often the time when people need their services the most.
“When people go through the treatment it is just about getting better and the emotional side is on hold. When you are coming to your last treatment and you should be on top of the world, down you go and you can’t explain it. That is when the emotional side hits them and they realise the trauma they have been through.”
Since locating to Rock Rose House, Mayo Cancer Support have contemplated moving into the grounds of the hospital but decided to stay at their current location and keep the homely atmosphere. They have built an extension which was completed in 2008 and have improved their facilities with extra counselling rooms,  specially designed therapy rooms as well as a comprehensive information library.
In the coming years Angela hopes they will continue to run more courses and provide a dedicated transport service for people availing of treatment in hospital. For the past decade Mayo Cancer Support has provided care, support and understanding to thousands of people and in the years ahead it will continue to be a rock for thousands more.