My name is Mícheál Kilcrann and I have been an inpatient unit volunteer at St Francis Hospice Blanchardstown for the past 3 years. Before this I was involved in various fundraising initiatives for St Francis. Prior to this, I coordinated the blue box collections in the Blanchardstown area for a number of years.
I am reminded of the quote by the African American poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou “People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel”. I think that this is exactly how my volunteering relates to me personally, from a volunteer perspective and from the patients perspective too.
As a volunteer, I hope that I help, even in a small way, to help patients and their families get the most from this stage of their lives. It has been said over and over by many that it is an honour and a privilege to be able to offer my time weekly to share with patients and their families as well as with the staff of St Francis.
It’s a very upbeat place to volunteer despite people’s perception of what the inside of a hospice might be like. I have learnt so much about patience, tolerance and resilience. Every week as I prepare to head home, I am reminded that I receive far more from my time there than I could ever possibly give.
Mícheál Kilcrann
IPU Volunteer St Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown