A children's cancer charity is to provide short breaks and community supports across Ireland from today.
Cancer Fund for Children already operates in the north and has offered therapeutic short breaks to over 1000 families since 2014.
It's now to open a facility in County Mayo backed by Rory McIlroy's foundation.
Cancer Fund For Children launches in the Republic of Ireland.
With the help of @roryfoundation they'll build a therapeutic care home pic.twitter.com/qChz5YyoLp
— Nicole Gernon (@nicole_gernon) June 22, 2017
The Daisy Lodge in Down currently has 50 families waiting to use its services at any one time.
It's hoped the new Lodge in Cong Co. Mayo will ease this pressure. It should welcome its first guest by Christmas 2019.
The first phase will cost over 13 million euro and the Rory Foundation has pledged 1.2 million of this.
Cancer Fund for children also aims to set up community based services such as psychologists and financial supports.
It will be rolling out these services on a province by province basis and the charity says there's a huge need for tailored services here.
Nicole Gernon reports:
