Where do Radiothon funds go?

Here are just some of the ways your Radiothon 2012 donation is making a difference…..

The Radiothon Team

At the Mercy...

  • €10,000 went toward a new Testicular cancer awareness programme. The project promoted the importance of young men aged from 15 upwards checking themselves regularly for signs of a potential testicular cancer. To date almost 5,000 students aged between 15-19 have attended the presentations, and at least one student was subsequently diagnosed and treated for the disease. Through this campaign we hope that in years to come more young men will now have the knowledge and understanding to identify and act upon if confronted with testicular cancer.
  • €26,000 went toward 2 Surgical Headlight Systems. This equipment provides surgeons at the Mercy Hospital who are performing open and complex major surgery with better visibility during operations to ensure the best outcomes for patients.
  • Later this year state of the art scanning equipment will be installed in the Radiology Department at the Mercy costing in excess of €800,000. €40,000 from Radiothon 2011 was allocated to this project. This will mean that those being scanned at the Hospital for potential cancers have access to the very latest equipment so they can be diagnosed effectively and treatment can begin quickly.
  • €2,500 for 500 Family Handover bags. These bags provide the staff of the Mercy with a simple but very dignified way to return a deceased patients personal belongings to their family.
  • €80,000 for 2 x Flexible Ureterorenoscopes which are used in the treatment of kidney stones but can also play a vital role in helping doctors to diagnose kidney cancer.
  • €916 weekly toward the Cancer liaison Service, a service that provides an additional support to patients diagnosed with cancer. The Foundation funds a specialist Cancer Liaison Service which plays a key role in supporting cancer patients and their families from the time they are diagnosed with cancer until such time as their treatment comes to an end.

At Marymount...

  • Funds raised in 2012 were used to pay for equipment in the new Hospice at Curraheen, which was officially opened by President Michael D. Higgins on Sunday 22nd April 2012 and to help maintain the level of services offered in the inpatient unit, St. Luke's Day Care unit, and by the community based teams.
  • There were 476 admissions to Marymount during the year, and 880 referrals to the community based service. It would not have been possible to meet the needs of these individuals and families without the support of radiothon.
  • Marymount University Hospice is an acute service, but is not a high tech one. It depends more on the skills and dedication of its staff than on sophisticated equipment. However, a mobile x-ray machine was purchased for the new Hospice at a cost of €121,000. The C-Arm image intensifier has yet to be brought into service, but when operational, will be used in the pain clinic in St. Luke’s Day Care Unit, and will eliminate the need for hospice patients to travel for treatment to the Cork University Hospital.
  • Radiothon funds were used for smaller and essential pieces of equipment like syringe drivers, which are used to ensure a regular flow of medications when alternative methods of administration are difficult.
  • Funds were also used to support bereavement services at Marymount. In 2012, 89 adults and 61 children received support to help them cope with their bereavement.

At CUH...

  • Funds from last year were used to purchase- equipment for use in treatment of renal cell cancer – cost of €30,000 approximately
  • Money has been set aside for refurbishment of two single isolation rooms in Ward 2D (these rooms are for patients who could be in hospital from up to 3-6 months at a time). This work is still ongoing cost of €50.000 approximately
  • Patient information literature