An 80-year-old great grandmother will shave her head next Saturday, August 17th, to raise funds for the night nurse service which helped her son who died last year.
Gemma Bowell lost her son John to cancer last November. He died at his home in Abbeyleix surrounded by family and friends with the assistance of Night Nursing by the Irish Cancer Society (ICS).
“These nurses are an amazing group of angels,” Mrs Bowell said.
Prompted by similar fundraising schemes, Mrs Bowell decided to shave her head with the aim of raising €1,500. The figure has already been surpassed, however, with €2,100 raised and more pledged for donation on the night.
“It’s a long time since I had long hair, but I wanted to do this. We didn’t think it would take off like it did, but the support has been amazing,” she said.
Mrs Bowell’s daughter Rebecca added that the family feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude to the night nurses who provided care and comfort for John in his final days.
“It’s very hard nowadays to meet anyone whose family has not been touched by cancer. The Night Nursing service allowed John to die in the home he loved surrounded by family and friends,” she said.
The head shave will take place in The Horseshoe Inn, Abbeyleix, Co Laois at 10pm.