Irish Cancer Society seeks drivers for ‘chemo’ patients
By Aideen O'Flaherty
THE Irish Cancer Society is looking for people to become volunteer drivers for its free transport service, which brings cancer patients to and from their chemotherapy appointments, with a local man who has been a volunteer driver for the charity for the past three years describing it as “self-fulfilling” work.
Ger Redmond (63) decided to do some volunteer work shortly after he retired from his job as an insurance broker in 2015, and signed up to be a volunteer driver for the Irish Cancer Society in 2016, as both of his parents had suffered from the disease.
Ger Redmond, volunteer driver with The Irish Cancer Society
The charity’s volunteer driver service offers free transport for chemotherapy patients in Dublin hospitals, including Tallaght University Hospital and St James’s, transporting them from their homes to the hospital and back again.
Explaining why he decided to volunteer, Ger told The Echo: “I retired in 2015 and wanted to occupy myself by giving back to society, so I offered myself as a volunteer driver for patients going to hospital for chemotherapy treatment.
“I feel like I’m in a privileged position with my good health, so it gives me pleasure to help others.
“I do [the volunteer driving] two or three times a month. It involves going to the house of the patient, bringing them to hospital, and then picking them up and bringing them home. It takes a full day.”
The volunteer drivers stay in the vicinity of the hospital and surrounding areas when the patients are undergoing their treatment, so that once the treatment is finished, they can be quickly brought back to their homes.
When asked what he’d say to someone who’s considering becoming a volunteer driver, Ger said: “I would give 100 per cent encouragement.
“It only requires one or two days a month, and I can guarantee that anyone who takes it up will get great self-fulfilment and joy from it.”
In order to become a volunteer driver, interested parties will need a car with a full NCT and an active email address, as they will be contacted with details about the patients they’re collecting via email.
The Irish Cancer Society has advised that if anyone would like to become a volunteer, or if they’re a patient who would like more information, they can contact Gail or Laura on the Volunteer Driver Service team on 01 2310 566 (Gail) or 01 2310 594 (Laura), email transport@irishcancer.ie or visit www.cancer.ie.
