My son Sean received his second cancer diagnosis just before Easter. He was treated in Castlebar Hospital and was then transferred to Galway. We live two and a half hours from Galway, it’s just me and Sean at home and I don’t drive. I found it very difficult to ask people to keep bringing me up and down to Galway and so for the first few weeks I stayed with friends who live near Galway city. However when it became clear that Sean would need extensive treatment I felt I couldn’t impose on my friends any longer and knew that I needed to look for somewhere more long term.

I phoned Cancer Care West and was very relieved when they offered to pay for a bed and breakfast across from the hospital.

Sean was very sick at that stage and it made such a difference to be able to walk across the road and visit him whenever he needed.

There were times I really felt lost, being so far from home with all the stress and worrying about Sean on my own. It would have been so much worse if I didn’t have the support of Cancer Care West though, I don’t know what I would have done without their help.

I stayed at the bed and breakfast in Galway for four weeks, which Cancer Care West paid for. Sean is back at home now and is recovering well. We are both very grateful to Cancer Care West for their kindness and support at a time we needed it most.