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The winner of a vacation home raffled off in aid of frontline healthcare workers has described her good fortune as “a dream come true.”
Ichelle Hallahan, a sustainability advisor at Trinity College Dublin, said she is “overwhelmed with gratitude” for the couple who raffled off her field trip to benefit frontline support workers.
Speaking at the cabin, which is at the foot of the Ox Mountains in Foxford, Co Mayo, Ms. Hallahan said she looks forward to telecommuting.
“I grew up in the country, so this is really my dream. I have had this dream for 20 years of having a cabin in the country.
“It means that I will go out of town and be able to work remotely and I will be able to share this with my family.”
The owners of the cabin, Joan, a retired anesthesiologist, and Patrick, an international businessman who survived Covid-19, decided to raffle the cabin in recognition of the sacrifice of non-professional frontline workers: care assistants, cleaners and hospital doormen.
Through the raffle Joan and Patrick managed to raise € 968,750 which will be distributed through an educational fund.
Joan, who worked in Irish hospitals throughout her career, believes that non-professional hospital staff often do not get the thanks they deserve.
“It is very comforting for me to see how delighted Michelle is.
“But not only that, it’s wonderful to see all the people who came in and gave their money knowing that they had little chance of winning.
“Patrick and I are just the indicators, it is the people who have given their money who are the heroes.
“I worked in hospital theaters for many years and everyone has a job to do, but the support staff, cleaners and caretakers did their job without complaint and always with a smile. They were essential to the team and were never recognized or appreciated as they should have been.
“This pandemic was even worse for them. They entered every day knowing the risk to them and their families, it was brave.
“One woman told us that she was unable to see her very young son for six weeks.
“Another lady said that her daughter had started as an assistant in one of the acute care hospitals and said ‘It is not right that a 20-year-old girl has to take so many bodies to the morgue.’
Ms. Hallahan also revealed that she has worked as a nursing assistant in the past and this was part of the reason why she invested € 50 in raffle tickets.
“I was a nursing assistant for two summers while on a J1 on Cape Cod.
“I dropped out of college and went to London during a mini recession, so I sent out hundreds of resumes and got no response.
“So I ended up working as a nursing assistant at Hammersmith Hospital and did it for a year. I had the full experience of doing hard work and not really getting recognized or recognized for it.
“I am delighted that the money raised is going to non-medical personnel because they do not receive the recognition they deserve. Patrick and Joan are incredibly kind people and it has been a pleasure meeting them over the last few days. “
Online editors
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