For immediate release                                                                                  May 1st, 2012

Hearty Fools Cycle from Mizen to Malin in aid of the Mater Cardiology Department

The Mater Foundation is asking your support for a brave group of Hilton Food employees and friends (The Hearty Fools) who will embark on a 665km cycling challenge to raise urgent funds for the Cardiology Department in the Mater Hospital. The cycle, which takes place from 3^rd May and sees a team cycle from Mizen to Malin over 4 days, begins on 3^rd May and they will arrive on 6^th May in Malin travelling through  Killarney, Oranmore, Galway, Claremorris, Bundoran and finishing at Malin Head. The team hope to raise €50,000 for the Mater Foundation which is the official fundraising body of the Mater Hospital. Leading Cardiologist Prof Declan Sugrue will join them on some of the journey.

The Hearty Fools were inspired to do this cycle as some have experienced at first hand the tremendous work of both the team of Cardiologists and the Mater Hospital in the treatment and support of patients and their families, in particular the Hilton Foods MD, Frank McMyler. Without their great work and care, his participation in this Charity Cycle would never have been possible.

Frank suffered a heart attack on the 2^nd November 2009 just two days after his 40^th birthday. “For the team in the Mater, who do such an excellent job, although my surgery to them is just one of many procedures a week, it was a life changing experience for my family and I.”

“Since my operation I have always had an idea at the back of my mind that I would like to do something to give a little back to the team and systems which treated me so well. In an attempt to give a little something back and potentially help others who find themselves in my position, the idea of this charity cycle was born.”

The monies raised will go towards the new 24 hour Catheterisation Laboratory (Cath Lab). The Cath Lab is a national referral centre for patients being assessed for Heart Transplantation or the Adult Congenital Heart Service. It also provides a 24/7 emergency service 365 days a year for patients who are suffering from a heart attack. The cardiac catheterization laboratories in the Mater Hospital remains among the busiest in the country and continues to deliver on providing state of the art therapies to a high volume of complex cardiac patients.

Ends

For further information, contact:

Arlene Hogan

Email- ahogan@materfoundation.ie

Phone- 01 854 5289

Mobile- 085-7327063

Notes to editor:

The Mater Foundation

The Mater Foundation was established in 1985 as the official fundraising body of The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

It exists to inspire and enable financial support from the community for exceptional patient care at The Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

Funds raised through the Mater Foundation are used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment, enhance facilities and to ensure that all patients at the hospital are cared for in a restful, healing and comfortable environment.

Working closely with healthcare professionals, hospital management, our donors and volunteers, the Mater Foundation makes possible the investment of the community in its own healthcare.

The Mater Foundation Mission and Vision

The key values that the Mater Foundation holds strongly are as follows:

•To enhance patient care, characterised by high quality, integrity and respect for recipients.

•To be transparent and accountable.

•To respect and value people.

If you wish to contact the Mater Foundation please contact:

The Mater Foundation, 53-54 Eccles St, Dublin 7

Tel: (01) 830 3482 Fax: (01) 830 5201

E-mail: contact@materfoundation.ie

Visit www.materfoundation.ie

Amount raised will be known shortly. All sponsorship money goes towards the Dublin Neurological Institute. Thanks for everyone who sponsored the guys!!

Rush Musical Society presents Not Strictly Dancing on Sunday April 22^nd at 7pm.

Come and support Brian Magennis, Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Dublin Neurological Institute who is taking part as one of the dancers on the night.

He has chosen the Neurological Appeal at the Mater Foundation as his chosen charity for the event.

Great entertainment promised for all the family!

Qualifying Round & Grand Finale – Sunday April 22^nd at 7pm

Location: Malahide Rugby Club

Doors open at 6.30pm.

Tickets €10 (including a vote for your chosen charity)

Further Info contact Helen:

T: 086 1956718

E: secretary@rushmusicalsociety.com

In less than two weeks the Dublin Neurological team will run the Wexford Half Marathon on 22^nd April in aid of the DNI.  Thank you to all who have sponsored us . To date we have raised over €1000. Training is going fairly well.  Last weekend was the longest run, 1hour 45mins, which although wasn’t accurately measured was probably over the 10mile mark.

Training Regime

The training regime has taken the format of running and gym workouts on alternate days with interval rest days.  I complete short runs midweek and at weekends a long run ranging from 1hour and 10mins upwards.  In the gym we target upper limbs and abdominals to improve core stability with explosive lower limb strengthening to help running efficiency. Living near the coast is an added bonus particularly for long runs and interval training on the glorious Gormanstown and Mornington beaches. The rocks also come in very handy as weights!

Resources

There are a number of good resources that have helped with training.  A very useful book is How to Train by Hal Hydon which provides training schedules depending on the distance being run.  He advises a timed 10k run to give an estimate of the likely time to complete a Half Marathon.  My timed 10K was 57mins therefore the estimated Half Marathon time is 2hours 10mins.  This was disappointing as the previous Half Marathon was 1hour 48mins (but then that was fifteen years ago, Ive a few grey hairs since then!).  Still the desire is to complete this Half Marathon in less than 2 hours.

Another good read is Paula Radcliffe’s book How to Run.  It’s a very attractive easy read, well laid out  with information on stretching/strength training, complete with illustration. She discusses the importance of nutrition, appropriate clothing and injury prevention and provides guidance on training schedules.

Injury Management

Despite stretching and gradual progression in running distance I have developed an ankle injury which persists the longer I run.  My Physiotherapy colleagues at Dublin Physiotherapy Clinic,  www.dublinphysio.ie  have diagnosed a  joint and ligament injury. It is likely that running pattern has contributed to this problem with a tendency to excessively pronate on landing. Relatively old trainers have not helped either. Thankfully it has improved considerably with manual therapy and stretching although  running pattern needed to be addressed.

Check out Amphibian King, www.amphibianking.ie  a specialist running shop in Bray who assess running pattern using video analysis. Their assessment clearly illustrated my faulty running pattern. Following their analysis we trialled a number of trainers and the pair chosen have certainly had a positive impact on foot alignment, stride and gait pattern. It is well worth a visit. 

In the next two weeks I hope to complete 12miles and perhaps I might get under the two-hour mark on the day with a little more effort (and an engine).

Thank you to everyone who have so generously sponsored our team and for those who would like to donate you can send a donation to the Dublin Neurological Institute 57 Eccles Street D1 or visit my charity page at:

www.mycharity.ie/event/grainne_mckeowns_event/

Grainne McKeown

Physiotherapist in Neurorehabilitation

Dublin Neurological Institute

This year, please run, walk or crawl the Mini Marathon and support any area of the Mater Hospital. Your determination, your fundraising – you decide! Many of you supported us last year – thank you! Please join us again – your support is vital, especially at this time.

First register with the Flora Women’s Mini Marathon team as soon as possible by filling in a form in the Evening Herald or online at www.womensminimarathon.ie.  Then contact Mary on (01) 830 3482 or check out www.materfoundation.ie, let us know which Appeal you would like to support and we will send you your fundraising pack including a t-shirt, sponsorship card and information leaflet all about the big day. 

We will be with you every step of the way with training tips and personal stories on our blog and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/materfoundation. 

Then join us afterwards on the day at our Annual Marathon After Party to meet the fundraising team and have a few nibbles and drinks to celebrate finishing the marathon. Looking forward to having you on board!

Our three Appeals are:

The Mater Foundation financially supports many areas of the Mater Hospital. You can choose to take part and raise funds for any Ward or Department throughout the hospital or donate towards a general fund to improve patient care.

The Breast Cancer Appeal at the Mater Foundation funds the continual development of Breast Health Mater, the Symptomatic Breast Clinic at the Mater Hospital, helping fund treatment for and research into breast cancer.

The Heart Appeal at the Mater Foundation raises vital funds for the Mater Family Heart Screening Clinic located at Heart House. This clinic screens family members of those who have died suddenly and unexpectedly due to Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS) or Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD).

As the official fundraising body of the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, the Mater Foundation exists to ensure that all patients of the Mater Hospital receive exceptional care in a restful, healing and comfortable environment. This ethos is sustained each and every day through the wonderful support received from donors to these three Appeals within the

Mater Foundation.

For further information please contact:

The Mater Foundation:   Mary Chambers     01 830 3482 or  mchambers@materfoundation.ie

To view the photos from our launch click here

I have worked in the  Neurology Department at the Mater Hospital since 2003. There are 5 elements to my role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)– a Clinical Focus, Consultation from other Healthcare Professionals, Education & Training, Patient Advocacy and Research  & Audit.

The most interesting thing about my job is that every day is different and can be both challenging and very rewarding. To give you an insight into a  typical day I will briefly outline an average Monday.

I start at 7 45am, my voicemail usually has a few messages  that have been left over the weekend which I check and log. These can be really varied, from patients,  families and other healthcare professionals contacting me at the DNI.  The phone continues to ring with queries throughout the day from patients looking for help and advice.  My patients also have the facility to email me with problems and queries. During this time I also check them and other general correspondence.

Usually around 10am I make my way over to the main hospital from the DNI to review in-patients who are under the care of Professor Lynch within my speciality. If there is a person with Parkinsons disease or a movement disorder within the hospital they can be referred to me by their medical team through the nurse referral system. I usually get asked to assess patients, review their medications and offer specialist advice.

I then head back to the DNI at 12pm for the Multi Disciplinary Team meeting which takes place in the conference room.  At this meeting all of the Neurology team get an opportunity to discuss our patients together, their progress, concerns or any other issues.

The Neurology  Journal Club follows this MDT meeting over lunch from 1pm to 2pm. This is a learning and education forum where each member of the team take it in turn to present a patient case or a topical issue. Recently, I presented on Pallative Care issues in Parkinson’s disease.

Around 2pm it’s back to the desk to check voicemails and emails for about half an hour. At 2 30pm the Family and Carer Support Clinic starts. This clinic is a new initiative which I set up mid 2011 for family members and carers of patients who attend  the movement disorder services. The aim is to provide education, support and advice, creating a better understanding of the persons needs at home and potentially avoiding a crisis situation which often  results  in a visit to the Emergency Department.

Once the Clinic is finsihed I return to my office desk. Throughout the day I get bleeped and contacted with various other issues which I work to have resolved by the time I’m due to finish at 4pm.

Brian Magennis Clinical Nurse Specialist in Neurology

Today is International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate than signing up to be part of our Mini Marathon Team for a great day out and to help raise vital funds for the Mater Hospital and our Appeals!

 Feel amazing by achieving something for yourself.

 Join us on the 4th June 2012 for the Women’s Mini Marathon

 Five Great Reasons and Five Great Causes…..

 Five Great Reasons

1. Fun- noted as being one of the best days out for women!
2. Friends – join up with work friends or other friends
3. Fitness – follow a programme to suit your needs to Walk, Jog, Run – your choice!
4. Feel amazing – Women can achieve anything they put their mind to.
5. Fundraise – you choose where you would like your fundraising to go!  

Five Great Causes

The Mater Foundation divides its support across 5 key areas:

1. General funding for Wards and Departments
2. The Heart Appeal
3. The Breast Cancer Appeal
4. The Neurological Appeal
5. The Cancer Research Appeal

To join in just follow these 2 simple steps:

• Log onto www.florawomensminimarathon.ie to register for the Mini Marathon with the organizers

• Contact Mary on mchambers@materfoundation.ie or call 01 830 3482 to register with the Mater Foundation

Once registered with the Mater Foundation we will send you updates and training information throughout your preparation.