Alan’s Story

We all look after each other, and that’s what it’s all about. Care, love and compassion, and that’s what I have learned in the years in the Ambulance service- I’ve been honest.

As the years went on, I never forgot where I came from regarding patient care, and I was reading stories about the hospital, about what people were sharing about it, and I thought it’s a great place to leave something in your will regarding care and being looked after.

Whenever someone was in the hospital and… I think, let’s say, just care to the loved ones. If I can use the phrase “called home”, I like to think they’re called, you know, with someone waiting up there for them.

It’s great having your loved one going in as an inpatient, getting 24-7 care. But, it’s not that, it’s the after-care the Hospice gives.

So you’re getting more inner peace You know, there’s some people maybe going home, living on their own, lost. You know, there’s an empty chair. But, you know, they can go and make contact with someone in the hospice, and they would point them in the right direction to try to give them a bit of inner peace after the loved one is passed on.

You’re having people there that you might never meet, family-wise and loved ones. But I’m sitting here today knowing that my donation is going to help a loved one, someone in the hospice getting 24-7 care, people I probably will never meet, and that has given me a lot of joy out of what I’m actually doing regarding leaving my will. It’s knowing where it’s going to, it’s knowing what way it’s going to help others. If someone meets me in Dungannon, at least I can say why I decided to leave something in my will for the Evora Hospice. And I’ll always carry that till I’m called home.

Anyone’s will, there’s a lot to sort out . But I sat down myself with a wee writing pad and decided what’s going where and what. Legally, I decided I would need to go and see a solicitor and explain him what I want to do and after that, come back, give yourself a few days to think it over, and then say, “Right, that looks good in paper .” And then I rung the hospice and told them what I have done.

I’m not a savvy technician regarding internet, but I just went through Evora’s local number, and I rung them, and lovely, lovely people at the end of the phone. They’ll answer any question that you want to know. I would rather ring the number, talk to someone, “I have decided to do this. Could you help me out? ” And this was the best way forward. And I have got nothing but praise at the other end of the phone. I was always told what way to go.

You know, and I’ve already met a staff member who rang me, and I’ve met this staff member from Evora twice, because they actually came up to Dungannon to see me, and explained a lot of things. I even went for a coffee. And that made me feel more at home on a one-to-one. I like a one-to-one., the phone’s great. So there’s people there who look after you every step of the way, whatever way you want to decide, what do you want to make your donation towards. But I have no complaints whatsoever.