Health campaigner Betty Holmes is never shy at backing away from the things that are most important to her – health and family. She has been one of Donegal’s strongest advocates for better cancer services for many years. These are her hopes for 2020.
As a New Year approaches there are so very things that come to mind for me.
As I have a few more serious health matters to deal with in the spring of the year my initial thoughts are that I hope I will make a full recovery post-op and I’m sure I will. I hope I find the energy I need to keep going. I won’t let anything get me down or the better of me…
There is a long-standing joke that my husband Con has shared with my great medical team a few years ago & that was “ Mr Lynch how come so many very serious things happened Betty, her heart & her bones” ‘I thought ahh he really loves me. In the next breath he says “Ahh Mr Lynch I’ve worked it out. It takes that much energy to keep her mouth going, everything from the neck down had to give up”. Love is an amazing & wonderful thing!
“I sincerely hope that in 2020 that the major health care needs of the people of Donegal will be addressed. Not just lip service but action at Government level, Dept. of Health and relevant professional levels. It is vital that the unique geographical position of Donegal be recognised with no railway or motorway at National, Regional and indeed local level.
“I firmly believe that the state of our health should be the most important issue for our Government & Politicians. The state of a person’s health from before they are born till they die impacts on everything they, their family & community do. Governments if they are really interested and focused on the country should recognise this. Health impacts on education, employment, economy, agriculture etc. etc.
“I look around and see so many sick or unwell people and it’s a no brainer to realise that getting people the health care & services they need when they need them benefits everybody. I hope that the very important groups & organisations in Donegal who are struggling to continue to deliver important services in the community secure the funding they need to keep going.
“I hope that our elected representatives in Donegal can now meet around the one table; stand united and start to work together with respect for each other irrespective of who’s in Government to address the major health care & services issues in our county. Respect.
“I need them to do this and go up the road to Leinster House with respect for each other and state clearly what Donegal people need and stay with it till it happens please. Let Donegal Politician’s through this action bring the change that people need.
“I hope that the necessary funding including beds, staff etc. will be addressed and delivered for Letterkenny Hospital & Donegal’s Community Hospitals. I hope that the focus will not be making private the priority at a cost to the lives of the many elderly people & those who need restbite in our Community Hospitals.
“I hope that no more of Donegal’s key health services will be stripped and taken out of the county with patients having to travel when services were in Letterkenny Hospital. I hope that the Home Help hours will be increased as they had been before so that those people, human beings who need help can get it when they need it.
“I hope that the major money that is being provided by the Government under the National Treatment Purchase Fund will be made available to our local hospital so that patients can get the treatments they need locally instead of having to go out of the county to private hospitals.
“I believe the patient must always be the number one priority but just can’t understand why the Government can provide major money to treat patients elsewhere.
“When I look at the homeless figures for Ireland I have to doubt the commitment that Government & Politicians have to the people they are elected to serve. I have always said that Government positions be it Taoiseach, Ministers, TD’s etc. is the only job I know where you don’t have a job description, work reports, performance indicators, accountability and get paid a crazy amount of money, bonus, expenses, pensions for the “ job”. So for 2020 and the next election I want to see a Job Description for the job they are putting themselves forward for us to elect. Then we will know who is getting the work done.
“I worry for the future of all our young children & families, they are under so much pressure and many have very little to survive on. What will the coming year hold for them?
“I hope that families & young people who need help no matter what kind can find someone who can either help or assist them in getting help.
Family is very important to me, indeed they come first no matter what. I will do whatever anyone asks me to do but if my family need me they have to come first.
“My father James & mother Kathleen died when I was very young. For me, my two brothers & sister our earlier life’s journey wasn’t an easy one. I still remember both my parents, how amazing, loving and caring they both were to us even though we were very young.
Both died from cancer at a young age.
“Con and I will be married 44 years this February. I always tell him I am a doer and he is a talker…now you can imagine his reply to that.
“We have 5 children, 4 girls, one boy, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. We have a really great family and we are so very proud of them.
“I live in Newtowncunningham a very good place to live and a great community I highly recommend it. I’m passionate about Donegal and make no apology for it. To me, it is the forgotten county and with Brexit looming we will be even more disadvantaged.
“I am a very passionate & positive person. I am very proud of the many important groups etc. that I have been involved in over many years.
“Being respectful in everything I do is very important to me. Even at the toughest meetings I hold behaving in a respectful manner very close to my heart. I believe the day that I’m not respectful is the day I in effect close the door on the voluntary work I am doing in the best interests of the people of Donegal.
“Donegal is a beautiful county and has so much to offer our tourists. I believe that those that are in influential positions at National & Regional level could do more to promote our beautiful county. I hope in the coming year that they recognise Donegal’s beauty & potential and act on it.
“If you look at the county from Malin Head to Donegal Town right around the county you will be hard pressed to find the like anywhere in Ireland. Donegal has so many beautiful & historic locations. Look at the beautiful Grianan of Ailigh, Burt Castle, Dunree Fort, Ards Forest Park, Glenveigh National Park, Fanad Lighthouse, Assaranca Waterfall near Ardara, the Inch Wildfowl Reserve Walkway and I could go on. Look at our amazing and beautiful beaches with Lisfannon & Murvagh as fine examples.
“Me? I love the cinema, books, the theatre and wee nights to the Tin Tai in Letterkenny.
I love long walks, I call it my stress management but with major bone problems I am unable to walk on the roads so for many years I go to the Inch Walkway & Lisfannon Beach. In recent months I can now only do a very short 20/30 minutes daily but I will get back on my feet.
“After surgery, I hope to be able to get back to looking after our garden. Positive thinking is vital. I love people & community. I love life & here’s to 2020.
“I’ll do my best to make it another great one & create even more great memories. I hope that whatever the people of Donegal need that 2020 will be the year for them. Thank you, Betty Holmes
Tags: