A woman who has witnessed the financial impact that illness can have on families has set out to help ease that burden.
Werribee Mercy Hospital palliative care nurse Jackie Hosking recently took part in her own revised version of Dry July, drinking no alcohol between Sunday, July 13, and Tuesday, August 12, in a bid to raise money for the hospital’s Urgent Need Appeal.
The appeal, which is aimed at raising more than $2 million, will provide financial support to Mercy palliative care patients and families struggling to make ends meet.
“I realised that if I was able to do this, I might be able to make a real difference to a number of lives,” Ms Hosking said.
“I do like red wine, so the fact that I’m stopping is a pretty big deal and I was very interested to see how I’d go. It was a bit difficult a the start, but then it got a lot easier.”
Ms Hosking has worked with Mercy palliative care for the past 13 years.
She said she chose to focus on palliative care because she wanted to be involved in the care at the end of the patient’s life, hoping to make it as peaceful as possible.
“I want things to be calm and peaceful and gentle, to support someone at the end of their life.”
Ms Hosking raised more than $2000 in her month without alcohol, but she says she also gained something for herself out of the experience.
“I definitely feel a lot better after not drinking for a month,” she said.
“It was very worthwhile to do it for myself as well as for Mercy.”
More details: www.everydayhero.com.au/event/Urgentneedappeal
