Ten Years of the Galway Cancer Support Centre

TEN YEARS A GROWING

This year marks the ten year anniversary of the opening of the support centre and it a cause for celebration and reflection. Galway city had been without a cancer support centre until 2007 when Inis Aoibhinn opened its doors to welcome patients who had to stay overnight in Galway while receiving radiotherapy treatment. As part of this initiative, the Board of Cancer Care West also offered psychological support to people affected by cancer. The demand for this service grew to such an extent, that it was decided to move to a stand-alone support centre in May 2009. The first year it opened, up to the end of 2009, 47 people attended the service. Last year in 2018, over 1,400 attended our support services.
What is it about a cancer diagnosis that makes this support necessary? Cancer can be a big shock to the system, can cause us to really question the predictions we make about our lives, and can be very scary. It often causes us to feel out of control and struggling to understand what is happening to us.
These are the very reasons our Support Centre is here. If you are struggling with any aspect of coping with a cancer diagnosis, whether you are a patient or a relative, we are here to support you. We offer a comprehensive range of cancer support services, including information and advice, counselling, a fully equipped rehabilitation gym, complementary therapies, courses and classes and a drop in service. All our services are free of charge and provided by cancer support specialists. We are delighted that we are able to support patients at all ages and stages of their cancer experience.
We are constantly reviewing our services and our plan is to continuously evolve to reflect the changing needs of cancer patients and their families. If you would like to learn more about our service, please drop in to our centre or call 091 540040.