Tuam Cancer Care is delighted to announce that·President of Ireland, Mary McAleese will open its new Support & Information Centre on the 11^thJanuary 2011.

Finally, Tuam Cancer Care has a permanent home. This new Centre is located on the outskirts of Tuam, in Cricket Court on the Dunmore Road. The Centre is managed by health care professionals experienced in cancer support, counselling and complementary therapies, and staffed by a team of professionally trained support volunteers.··

Tuam Cancer Care is a voluntary non-profit organisation, which is mainly funded by generous voluntary contributions.· The origins of Tuam Cancer Care go back to the early 1980’s when a group of Tuam women, diagnosed with breast cancer, came together to support each other. They realised that a diagnosis of cancer often leads to a crisis of the mind and spirit, as well as the body. These women laid the foundation for what is now Tuam Cancer Care Centre.

In the late 1990’s Tuam Cancer Care Group identified the need for a range of cancer care support services in Tuam and the surrounding areas and, since these supports were not being provided by the Health Services, the Group decided in 1999 to open a Cancer Support & Information Centre in rented premises in Tuam. This was one of the first Cancer Support Centres in Co. Galway. In 2009 the Group took a significant step forward when it decided to develop a purpose built Centre. The Centre is based on the same design model as the Maggies Centres in Scotland and England. This model allows best care to be delivered in a homely but therapeutic environment.At the Centre psychological, emotional and practical support is offered to people going through a cancer experience. A cancer diagnosis can be very frightening and for many people their world stops as a result of the trauma of a diagnosis. It also a time of great uncertainty, not just for the person diagnosed but also their family.

Our new Centre offers a haven of peace and quiet, whilst also being a hive of activity, and provides a variety of individual supports, as well as numerous workshops and courses, which address different aspects of cancer.  It is hoped that the support provided will help the person with a cancer diagnosis to regain control of their life and enhance their personal coping skills during this difficult period. As cancer is very much a family affair, family members are also supported through this difficult time.  Bereavement support is also available for those who have lost a loved one to cancer. 

No appointment is necessary to use the Centre – just Drop-in. All services are offered free of charge. Finally, confidentiality is a cornerstone of the service and all who come to the Centre can feel secure in the knowledge that any information they share with the support volunteers or staff, will be treated with the complete confidence.

Return to Press Releases