‘Everything about it was so soothing and wonderful’

A YOUNG woman from Carrickmore who has found ‘precious peace’ with Charis Cancer Care has said she is ‘deeply saddened’ to hear the future of the service is under threat.

After being diagnosed with several tumours, the lady, who has asked not be named, received several operations, as well as numerous debilitating bouts of radiotherapy.

Physically and psychologically exhausted, she was advised to go to a cancer centre that sits on the quiet shores that overlook Lough Fea.

Desperate for an escape from the drudgery of her illness, she went along and found ‘special staff, life-changing therapies and a new kind of family’.

“Living with cancer is hard and it is important to have a getaway from it all,” began the young woman.

“When myself and a family member first went along, on arrival it felt like coming home. That might sound like an overstatement, but it isn’t.”

She described the setting as one that was tranquil, quiet, peaceful and beautiful.

“The centre is located on a lonesome moorland outside Cookstown. The setting is stunning. The quiet in the air and calm, soothing waters of Lough Fea made a deep breath possible for the first time in months.”

She continued, “The building itself is a bungalow full of counselling rooms and therapeutic treatment studios. The place is plush, cosy and warm, beautifully-furnished and upholstered. Honestly, it is like going to a five-star spa.”

UNIQUE

But the setting and decor are only part of the unique alchemy that makes the loughshore centre so special.

“You are welcomed at reception with a cup of tea and some lovely biscuits, but it is the staff that make the place what it is. They are professional, but not in the least bit clinical. They are warm, chatty and friendly. Anybody I met who worked there was a really special person, and that is how they made me and my family feel, too.”

Charis take a holistic approach to wellbeing, therefore, in addition to traditional counselling, they also offer treatments such an aromatherapy, reflexology, massage, yoga and cooking groups.

“Before going to the centre, I would have been sceptical about the merits of a lot of the things they have on offer at Charis Cancer Care. However, I took six sessions of reflexology and can say without hyperbole that it has been life-changing.

“When you are facing cancer, the world feels like it is closing in around you. Find something that allowed my body and mind to relax almost seemed miraculous. Everything about the centre was so soothing and wonderful.”

But the final piece of the magic mixture that Charis Cancer Care can provide for the people to avail of their services is a community connected by the bonds of their illness.

“You get speaking to people who are in the same boat as you, some of who are sailing even stormier seas.

“You chat about the weather, about what you are having for dinner, about everyday things.

“For me, this was a profoundly comforting thing: To share a space with people who really understood what I was going through, but to not necessarily feel the need to talk about our sickness.

“For the first time, it made what I was going through seem normal. I had heard people tell me to be positive; plenty of friends and family had told me everything would be okay, but nobody had ever made my illness feel normal before.”

Before finishing, the young lady, who is still on her cancer journey and intends to return to Charis Cancer Care, reflected on how devastating of a loss the collapse of these services would be.

“The amount of benefit my family and I derived from the counselling and treatment we received cannot be overstated. It gave me something that I don’t think I could have found elsewhere. The staff are so personable and attentive, the setting so serene, and the people were exactly who I needed introduced to my life.

“Please, do what you can to help Charis Cancer Care through this tough time, whether it is by monetary donation or by giving clothes or furniture to their charity shop in Magherafelt.”