The generosity and the Christianity of people knows no bounds when it comes to supporting the Cavan Monaghan Palliative Care Fund.
That's according to the chairperson of the charity Jimmy O'Donnell.
He said he sees it firsthand, and he sees it daily, and Mr O'Donnell said that has been the way for over three decades now.
Jimmy says that the fund is helping up on 600 families a year across the region who has a loved one in an end of life situation.
He says it costs €250,000 a year to run the service and it's the people of Cavan and Monaghan who come up with fundraisers and creative ones at that to make sure the money is collected year on year.
Jimmy said the work they do have done through the years can only be done because of the people, adding that the people of both Cavan and Monaghan are extraordinary.
"We're not a bureaucratic organisation and we can respond immediately to any request identified to us by the team."
Jimmy says, "people are so forthcoming and helpful in relation to doing what they can in relation to supporting this great cause. In 33 years, I've never been refused by anybody that I approached when we were running a fundraising event."
Jimmy says what happens is that the people who raise money don't fully realise the impact that they have. "The other thing that's very important, sure, the money is vital, but by an organisation taking on a function like this, they raise the profile of the service and what's available.
"What tends to happen is when you have a family member who gets a diagnosis, people get very frightened. They don't know where to turn they're living with the person that they love. They see them fading away in front of their very eyes. The palliative care team are there to support them, and palliative is as much about the family as it is about the patient."
