Local family give back to hospital

Richard Ferris and his daughter Ella May recently paid a special visit to the Paediatric Unit at Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar to drop in goodie bags and games to the families of children undergoing treatment for cancer.

The visit had an added significance for Richard and his family as they know from personal experience what these families are going through. When Ella May (14) was one and a half, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Neuroblastoma.

Financial advisor Richard’s Mullingar based firm Ferris Financial Planning Limited is a supporter of Childhood Cancer Ireland and to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, he and Ella May visited the Paediatric Ward with gifts for the families with loved ones currently being treated there.

Richard says that Ferris Financial is “proud to support Childhood Cancer Ireland”.

“Ella May had Neuroblastoma at 18 months and I always remembered the difficulty, not only we had, but the difficulty that other families faced when your child has cancer.

“I remember the support we got and I just wanted to repay that in some way,” Richard said.

Childhood Cancer Ireland

Childhood Cancer Ireland is a charity founded by and led by parents of children with cancer.

They provide a range of services and supports for children with cancer and their families, including parent workshops, access to play therapy, parent peer support.

Midlands Regional Hospital Mullingar is one 16 regional hospitals across the county where children receiving treatment for cancer have their own isolation rooms that have been equipped by Childhood Cancer Ireland with TVs, PlayStations, day beds for parents and other items to make their stay at pleasant as possible.