Over the coming weeks, staff at the Mercy Hospital Foundation will contact hundreds of households across Cork City and County asking them to support the charity’s Annual Raffle, which this year will help change the lives of the most critically ill patients in Cork, many of whom have suffered a spinal cord injury, a stroke, or a serious injury which has restricted their ability to move.

Specifically, funds raised will go towards the purchase of two new Motorised Comfort Chairs for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in The Mercy University Hospital. These state-of-the-art chairs offer high support for patients and allow them to spend more time sitting out of their bed meaning they can eat, drink and interact with others without assistance. This also means they are less likely to develop pressure ulcers which can become extremely dangerous and painful over time.

There are two of these chairs in use in The Mercy; however these are currently shared between the stroke and occupational therapy departments, making it almost impossible for patients in ICU to avail of them. For a patient in ICU, they need as much help as possible to recover and get home to their loved ones. Something as simple as new seating like this can really change their lives and help them to recover much quicker.

Elaine Hanna, nurse manager of ICU at The Mercy knows how much of a difference these chairs could make to the patients that she and her team care for every day. She said “Having intensive care patients sit out of bed improves their respiration and mental wellbeing and reduces many of the complications of immobilisation. It also simply helps to give patients the feeling that they are getting better, which can in turn really lift their spirits. It can also give great hope to their families to see them sitting out of bed.”

Micheál Sheridan, CEO at the Mercy Hospital Foundation said “On behalf of all of us at The Mercy, I’d like to thank those who choose to support our Annual Raffle. Thank you for your continued support of the Mercy Hospital Foundation. You have helped us to change so many lives over the years. This year, we need your help to look after our most critically ill patients. The patients in our Intensive Care Unit are the most seriously ill patients at The Mercy, and it is people like you who can help to make their struggle a little easier.”

Tickets for the Mercy Hospital Foundation’s Annual Raffle are €3 each or two for €5, with great prizes to be won when the draw takes place on Friday, November 2nd. First prize is €2,000 cash, and second is €500. As an added incentive, for every book of tickets sold, the seller will get a free complimentary ticket to enter the draw themselves.

If you would like to buy or sell tickets on behalf of the Mercy Hospital Foundation, or have any queries relating to the 2018 Annual Raffle, please call the Raffle Hotline on (021) 4274076, log on to  www.mercyfundraising.ie  or email info@mercyfundraising.ie.