Two women are remembering their dads on Father’s Day as they undertake their first mountain trek.
Naomi Jordan and Siobhan McGuire set off on Saturday, June 18, to undertake the biggest physical challenge of their lives - an expedition in the Canadian Rockies to raise money for Marie Curie.
The women want to say thank you for the dedicated and compassionate end of life care their fathers received before their deaths.
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Naomi (36), from Saintfield, said that she took up the fundraising challenge as the Rockies was a place her father would have loved to have visited.
Colin Doake, a retired minister and mission worker, died on December 16, 2019, at the age of 62. Three years earlier, he had been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, an asbestos cancer.
“My dad loved the outdoors, he was always walking, kayaking or cycling somewhere. The Canadian Rockies was a placed that Dad always wanted to visit so when I saw that Marie Curie had a team going out, I knew it was a fitting tribute,” explained the church administrator.
“I’ve never taken part in any charity trek and up until last year had only been in the mountains once. I never thought I would be spending my weekends in the Mournes like I have done for the past year in preparation for the trek. I will be thinking of him every step of the way but particularly on Father’s Day. I like to think he’d be very proud of me.”
Naomi is 'forever grateful' to Marie Curie for caring for her father in the last year of his life, claiming his nurses “went above and beyond” for him.
“Marie Curie provided my dad and my Mum with invaluable support through weekly day therapy as an outpatient. They provided me with counselling when it all got too much. At the start of December when Dad was admitted to the hospice, he was given the most incredible care. As a family, we could not have managed without the care and support of the team at Marie Curie Belfast.”
Siobhan McGuire, (37), is a self-confessed ‘daddy’s girl’ and she still grieves for her father Tony, who died from lung cancer on August 28, 2017, at the age of 69. He was cared for by Marie Curie Nurses at his home in Maghera, Co Derry.
“I’m doing this challenge to have something to work towards which is unlike anything I have done before and to raise funds for a worthwhile charity in memory of my dad,” said Siobhan, who now lives in Crawley, West Sussex.
“I was daddy’s little girl and was absolutely devastated when he died. We were lucky enough to spend Dad’s final days with him and were all together as a family when he passed away. We couldn’t have got through that week without the Marie Curie Nurses and their care and support, not only for him but for us as well.
“I’ve been out walking and trekking since January in preparation for the Rockies. I don’t expect it to be easy, but I know I will feel the support of my dad and my whole family along the way. My mother sent me a card this week telling me how proud she is of me for doing this and I know my dad would be as well.”
Gavin McGucken, Marie Curie’s community fundraiser for the Belfast area, is also going on the trek and commended everyone who is participating.
“We have a fantastic group of trekkers this year, many of whom are going on their second and third treks with us, unlike Naomi and Siobhan who are doing their first expedition,” said Gavin.
“Our group have been keen to get out again and raise money for Marie Curie services in memory of loved ones. We thank them all as our fundraising was hugely impacted by the pandemic, with this trek postponed from last year.”
The pair are part of an 18-strong group going on the first major fundraising expedition that the leading end of life charity in Northern Ireland has run since the pandemic.
The nine-day trip leaves on Saturday for Calgary. The next day, the trekkers will hike in the Banff area, before doing the Ha Ling Peak in Cranmore, the Stanley Glacier, Lake Louise, the Valley of Ten Peaks before walking from Banff to Calgary where they will arrive back home on June 26. Led by a professional hiking guide, the group will hike an average of 15kms per day and tackle climbs of between 500km to 800km in elevation.
Marie Curie’s bereavement support service can be called free on 0800 090 2309 and to find out more how to volunteer or fundraise for Marie Curie, visit www.mariecurie.org.uk/get-involved.
To support Naomi ’s appeal, CLICK HERE. And for Siobhan’s, CLICK HERE.
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