🧑🎄🧑🎄Santa goes visiting the wards in RVH 🧑🎄🧑🎄
Members of the RVHLSG Committee donned their Santa costumes as they delivered what is now the customary Christmas gifts to the children and adult inpatients in the RVH.
Another successful coffee morning/afternoon
The RVH Liver Support Group organised another coffee event, this time in Omagh and Enniskillen on Dec 4th. It was successful and everyone who attended appreciated being able to meet other patients and have a chat around their experiences. Further events just like this are being planned and we will let you know on the home page.
Service of Thanksgiving…….. Remembered.
Our thanks go to all our distinguished guests, medical colleagues and especially our members and their families, who joined us for our 25th Anniversary Service of Thanksgiving in the Chapel of Unity, Methodist College, Belfast on Sunday 26th November.
It was an emotional and reflective occasion for everyone, with magnificent music provided by Jonathan Rea, Rebekah Durston and Steph Devlin, whose contributions were unanimously praised afterwards.
The highlight for many was the lighting of candles by those organ recipients present in memory of their donors.
Thanks too to Rev. Janice Browne for leading the Service, Dr. Roger McCorry for representing all the consultants and staff in the Liver Unit, and Rev. Canon Kevin Graham, Deputy Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, for his encouraging words and bringing the support of the Belfast Lieutenancy.
We were also supported by Cllr. Mark Cooper BEM (Mayor of Antrim & Newtownabbey), Cllr. Jennifer Gilmour (Mayor of Ards & North Down), and Cllr. Dominic Molloy (Chair of Mid Ulster District Council). We were also delighted to have Catherine McKeown (Organ Donation Manager at the Public Health Agency) and Mrs Patty Gilbert (Chair of the NI Kidney Patients Association).
Family Fun Day a great success!!
This year’s Family Fun Day was another great success thanks both to Rachel and Patricia, committee members, and all of many families and friends who made the event. We just love to see so many families with their children coming along to have some great fun as well as having conversations with other families. We think the bowling was a great choice too!!
Mayor Councillor Jennifer Gilmour hosts members of RVHLSG at Bangor Castle to celebrate our 25th anniversary
This afternoon some of our members from the Ards and North Down area were hosted by the Mayor, Councillor Jennifer Gilmour, at Bangor Castle to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Thank you Jennifer for your support of the Group and for your time today
Jim Kilpatrick, Group Chairman, gives an insight to the Bangor Probus Club on the work of RVHLSG.
Jim Kilpatrick, Group Chairman, receives a cheque on behalf of the Group, from Mr Ed McGookin of Bangor Probus Club, following a presentation to the Club on the work of the Group. Our thanks go to Bangor Probus Club for their generosity.
Another coffee morning, this time in Coleraine. More of the same to come……
We've just held our second coffee morning in Coleraine. Pictured above is Rachel, RVHLSG Committee member, with liver patients Ivar and James.. Now, where will our next one be? Right now, both Enniskillen and Omagh areas are being organised for December 4th. More details on this will be available here soon!!
RVHLSG Charity Founder visits St Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin
St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin celebrated its Liver Transplant 30th Anniversary with a Patient Education Day in O’Reilly Hall, UCD, Belfield, Dublin on October 14th . There were a number of practical talks on living with a liver transplant with recent updates in the field of transplantation in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the National Liver Transplant Programme. The day started with an introduction given by Mr Justin Geoghegan, Consultant Transplant Surgeon with further insights into the last thirty years of transplantation by Prof Oscar Traynor and Prof Aiden McCormick.
Kay Duffy, OBE, and founder of the Liver Support Group was invited down to the event to give an insight in to the support network provided by the Group within Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland does not have a similar network and therefore patients with any type of liver condition cannot avail of the wide number of services provided to patients in NI.
Kay Duffy, Founder, Arthur Goan, Vice Chairman, Dr Sharon Millen, Head of Research and Rachel Quinney Mee, Child & Adolescent Patient Carer representing the RVH Liver Support Group attended.
Liver Support Group now offers a “quiet place” amidst a busy ward…..
We, the RVH Liver Support Group, are proud to let you know that we have kitted out the glasshouse, as it was known, in Ward 6D of the RVH Regional Liver Unit. This room is now affectionately known as “The Quiet Room” and has been refurbished and fitted out by the Charity with a new reclining sofa and chair. These items will recline as shown in the picture and also provide USB charging connectivity. As well as this we have provided a Nespresso coffee machine and microwave oven. Tableware, cutlery and associated accessories are also provided. The Charity will keep the room clean and stocked with coffee pods, teabags and sugar on an ongoing basis.
The Quiet Room is for the sole use of our patients whilst in Ward 6D and their families when visiting, for private conversations between medical staff and patients/families and a place of repose for the medical team within the Ward when needed . It is hoped that everyone will treat the room with the respect and dignity that it deserves.
Masonic Provincial Priories Golfing Society raises £2500.00 for RVHLSG
On Friday , Sept 29th 2023 the Masonic Provincial Priories Golfing Society Competition presented a cheque to Jim Kilpatrick, Chairman of the RVH Liver Support Group after a successful golf tournament at Killymoon Golf Club. Thank you all for a fantastic amount raised of £2,500.