Betty McGrath for Palliative Care, Tralee

The Betty McGrath, Killelton, Camp - 12 km Walk.

All proceeds to In Patient Unit/Palliative Care, Tralee, to mark Betty’s First Anniversary.

Kick off is at 12p.m. Saturday 10th September 2022 from The Junction Bar, (Mike and Bernadette Fitzgerald’s) Camp, walking along to Killelton Oratory on the Dingle Way, then on to Bunavoonder Strand, Bunahow, Kilgobbin Church of Ireland, Camp Upper, Ashe’s Cafe, Stepping Stones, Curraduff and back to The Junction Bar for refreshments!

Hello everyone,

We are the Moriarty and McGrath families of the late Betty McGrath (affectionately known as Bet), Moyessa, Listowel and formerly of Baltovin, Ardfert. With your help and generosity we endeavour to raise much needed funds for the In Patient Unit/Tralee Palliative Care at University Hospital Kerry.

Bet was diagnosed with cancer in August 2021. The cancer ravaged through her body and caused a rapid decline to her health and eventually her demise in Tralee Palliative Care.

In the Interim, Bet spent time in each of the following hospitals: the Bon Secours Hospital, Tralee; University Hospital Kerry and finally at The Mercy Hospital, Cork, where it was decided that further treatment would not be of any benefit to her.

We would like to thank everyone for their Medical expertise, their care and especially their honesty in communicating with Bet and her immediate family when the chips were down.

On Wednesday 1st September (during Covid) Bet was transferred to the care of the In Patient Unit/Tralee Palliative Care at UHK which was to be her final journey. Despite restrictions being in place and compulsory mask wearing, we were welcomed with open arms at all times by the unwavering staff at Palliative Care.

Bets private room was comparable to a 5* hotel.

She loved that!

Her room, with all its mod cons looked out onto a patio with seating and beautiful shrubs. Many bouquets of flowers arrived with well wishes and the patio was where they were arranged for Bet to admire. She had every possible comfort at her disposal. No request from any staff member was too big or too small, in fact Bet was told she could have ANYTHING she wanted!!! Many could attest that that would have been a dangerous statement in times gone by when she was in the full of her health!

Bet was very content in Palliative Care. She felt very safe, was well looked after and faced her destiny with amazing courage and acceptance. Bet remarked that Palliative Care was now her new home. She had access to her beloved ABBA and many more favourites ‘on tap’ via You Tube playlist and as she got weaker she would lift her hand up and like a conductress she would conduct along for a few seconds and smile a reminiscent smile. We were given the privacy and encouragement to spend as much time with Bet as we wished and we did. We had fun, waltzed around her bed, sang a few songs, laughed and cried together. She would tell us not to cry. In contrast, we also had difficult, poignant and gentle chats about the inevitable. The Chaplain called to say hello a few times and she found great solace from those visits.

The care that Bet received from each and everyone of the Staff at Palliative Care has left an indelible mark in our minds. She had fun with them and they with her. Their duty of care was remarkable. It was delivered with efficiency, dedication, love, kindness and most of all with total respect for Bet’s ‘end of life’ needs of which there were many. Our experience with IPU/Palliative Care has been very positive and we are eternally grateful to them all. We love especially that Tralee Palliative Care is available to those of any Faith or none, rich or poor, young and old and free of charge. The Palliative Care carpark is also free of charge.

As Bet’s level of consciousness began to fade, Palliative Care pulled out all the stops and we were assigned our own private Family room so that we could spend as much time with her as we wished day or night. The Family room was furnished with comfortable settees, fresh water, tissues, flowers and had an aura of serenity about it. In those crucial, difficult and final days, teas, coffees, sandwiches and biscuits were supplied in abundance. Through tears and laughter we shared stories about our beloved and sometimes cracked Bet!

Her last few hours on this earth were heartbreakingly beautiful. We held her hand and told her repeatedly we loved her and that it was time to let go. She passed away peacefully on Tuesday 14th September 1.30p.m. surrounded by what she gave away most, Love.

Thank you for taking the time to donate and read about Bet, a wife, a mom, a sister, a friend, businesswoman, consumer!!! and so much more.

We miss your joie de vivre.

"Hospice matters. The end of life deserves as much duty, care and respect as the beginning. I hope that any of you will never need the Hospice, but the Hospice will always need you."

Ted Moynihan.

Moriarty/McGrath families.