Hospice hero celebrates 90th birthday
Great grandmother Margaret Fitzpatrick (née Donoghue) may be small in stature but she is big on character and kindness.
The Ballinderry native celebrates her 90th birthday in August and after 36 years of caring and supporting patients and families at Saint Francis Hospice in Romford, England, she explains why the charity is so special to her.
Margaret comments: “I knew about Saint Francis Hospice before it even opened its doors in 1984 in Romford, Essex. I lived nearby so I saw it being built, but I never thought I’d be working there. I was a full-time mum of four at the time and I remember feeling a bit down in the dumps when my youngest son went off to America to work. My friend Doreen worked in the hospice kitchen and she said she’d let me know if anything came up! Three years later I started working as a domestic on the ward.”
Margaret has four children and two grandchildren and has been living in Essex for 45 years. She was a full-time mum before coming to work at the hospice. Her husband James Fitzpatrick was from Newry in Co Down and he worked as a self-employed painter and decorator before he died.
She spent 30 years working on the ward before she retired and has now been volunteering for six years.
SPECIAL BOND
The great grandmother has a special bond with St Francis Hospice.
She adds: “I loved helping the patients and it was lovely to be able to talk to the families. It has always been such a friendly place to work. It’s over 21 years ago now that my husband James was cared for on the ward when he had cancer and this was when my connection with the charity became personal.
“The years flew by and after 30 years I decided it was time to retire. I took a year off before coming back as a ward volunteer. The staff and volunteers have become like family to me. I really look forward to my shifts and still enjoy having a chat and banter with the patients as I’m serving their meals and drinks.
“The way I look at it, by volunteering, I am freeing up the nurses and healthcare assistants so they can spend more time giving patients the care they need. Lockdown was really difficult as I couldn’t volunteer and I missed being at the hospice. I was so glad when I was able to come back again. I come in three days a week if they are short of volunteers. It does not hurt me to come in. I love being busy and I love being here.
“Although it can be very sad, and you could make yourself very sad, I have learned not to take it home. The hospice has been a part of my life for so long, I will be really sad when I have to give it up.”