The Victoria Thompson Ladies Yacht Race June 2017. 

Thank you for keeping wind in our sails. 

WordPress asks “Start your story here”…. 

And in many ways sharing Victoria’s journey started with social media and everyone caring how our baby girl was. 

The ladies in Moville/Greencastle began to sail and while we were in Dublin, to show us their solidarity with us – they sailed their first race for Victoria in 2012. 

Braving a howling gale and lashing rain the ladies raced. 

It mattered little who won, it was for worried mothers, brave women and a caring community to acknowledge a baby girl’s suffering. 

Victoria wore her pink t-shirt, especially made for her. Miles from home she was remembered and although gone – she’s remembered still every year with this race. 

An awareness of the need for children’s palliative care was at the heart of the race from the beginning.

Six years ago it started an out-pouring of understanding that still exists today. There’s no way to thank all those involved other than to say – Thank you Moville Boat club and all who contributed in anyway. 

There are so many who do so much.

Victoria manages to spread her magic on and on, and it’s her supporters who help this. Thank you all. 

Different charities are supported each year and this is a lovely gesture. 

Congratulations to the Meagera crew for winning again this year. The Victoria Thompson Trophy resides in our home until next year. Thank you for allowing us to be custodians of this work of art. 

We love and miss Victoria now and always. Xx 

Thank you all for keeping her memory alive. 

The Victoria Thompson Trophy. 

The yachts.

Nursing Rose, Niamh Kelly will represent The Victoria Thompson Memorial Fund and Scholarship, in Tralee this August.

It is with great pleasure we announce that Abu Dhabi Rose Niamh Kelly, from Co Clare, is going to represent our charity, when she travels to The Rose of Tralee Festival, this August.

As a nurse, Niamh chose children’s palliative care as one of her causes, for this international festival.

Our charity aims to advance children’s palliative care in Ireland, so although Niamh is representing the Victoria Thompson Memorial Fund we feel she is a symbol of beauty and hope for all 4,000 Irish children needing this specialised medical care.

Niamh will also have many special angels looking out for her in the Dome this year.

We ask for people to cheer for our Niamh Kelly when she takes to the stage in Kerry and thank Niamh sincerely for her kindness and support.

For more information about beautiful Niamh and the festival go to https://www.facebook.com/abudhabirose2016/

The Rose by Bette Midler

Our Facebook page. Please like.

Donegal Woman article. 
Please consider donating directly to the Victoria Thompson Memorial Fund here https://www.gofundme.com/27qhkn7f

or Contact us

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COOK- OFF Fundraiser 27th April. 

Live Celebrity Chef Cook-off
in Redcastle Oceanfront Golf and Spa. 27th April 8pm.
in aid of The Victoria Thompson Memorial Fund/Scholarship.

Local, celebrity Chef Brian McDermott from TV3 is battling it out with the likes of Tony Singh MBE and Redcastle’s own Gordon Smyth, for this thrilling, live event.

Arrive to a glass of bubbly, overlooking Lough Foyle and watch the masters at work, as they battle it out to win the competition.

There will be an opportunity to meet and speak with the celebrity chefs and take the necessary selfies.

Tickets are available now (€20) from Redcastle Oceanfront Golf and Spa. We recommend purchasing tickets early.

Victoria’s legacy is always supported by Redcastle Oceanfront Golf and Spa Hotel. They’ve already pledged a substantial amount this year to our annual signage rental auction. This is one of the many ways their generous staff remember our Victoria and those like her.

We wish to thank all those involved in this cook-off on the 27th April.

Get info here

Tickets purchase from hotel

For further information please contact;
Feelena McCallion Sales and Marketing Manager Redcastle Hotel 0749385555 fmccallion@redcastlehotel.com

 

Nurses are needed. Spread the word please. 

Children like Victoria need nurses. Specialised, trained nurses. We love nurses. 😀

We ask for many more talented nurses to consider training in children’s palliative care, so children like Victoria can be cared for with palliative care in their own home or hospital. (With the hope of hospice respite in the future.)

http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/childrens-palliative-care-complex-care/

Masters in children’s palliative care and complex care.

“In 2016, NUI Galway recognised the need to support services to ensure that nurses have the required competencies and skills to care for this population of infants, children and adolescents in the relevant settings.  The programme obtained the support of the NMPDU to facilitate a more prepared nursing workforce though ongoing learning and development.

Modules can be offered as one continuous specialist MSc Programme OR can be undertaken as individual modules as a Masters Level Professional Credit Award.

 

Registration is now open until late June.

The current class of PG Students is made up of Community, Palliative Care, Neonatal, Disability, Hospital and Hospice nurses.”


Check out the leaflet and spread the word about children’s palliative care please. 

Thank you. 



Contact claire.quinn@nuigalway.com for further details.

Please like our Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/TheVictoriaThompsonScholarship/

And follow us on twitter @Victoriabttrfly

Leaflet on scholarship here – victoriathompsonscholarship_leaflet_print

Documentary that includes Victoria’s journey can be found here. vimeo.com/65008197

Signage rental auction for this year makes €1,000.

Redcastle Oceanfront Golf and Spa were the successful bidders for the signage this year.

Thank you to all local businesses who bid in the process. We were overwhelmed by the response. 

Next year in Jan 2018 we will take expressions of interest for the sign and bid during the first weeks in Feb for erection of sign in March at the latest. 

Thank you again to all and especially to Redcastle Oceanfront Golf and Spa for a nice round figure to start off our fundraising year for 2017. 

Sign is updated regularly with Redcastle Hotel’s events and promotions. Thrilled to see it changing with the seasons and knowing the funds add to Victoria’s legacy. 

Presentation of the Victoria Thompson Scholarship in NUIG university.

The Victoria Thompson Memorial Fund was kindly joined by Tommy Tiernan for the presentation of the Victoria Thompson Scholarship in NUIG university this morning 14th March 2017.

Congratulations to Aishling Devitt and Anne Browne who were selected to recieve the scholarship from the first ever children’s palliative care and complex care course in the country.

Our aim is to highlight the need for more paediatric palliative care nurses and services nationally.

We are deeply honoured that Tommy Tiernan attended and launched our initative.

Thank you to all in NUIG especially the nurses who are teaching and studying to provide care for our most vulnerable children. A huge amount of appreciation to Claire Quinn course director for all of her support and encouragement.

It was a special occasion. #Victoriamagic lives on. More interesting news to follow.

Huge thanks to Angus McMahon photographer.

To donate to the Victoria Thompson Scholarship

https://www.gofundme.com/27qhkn7f

Details of course listen here to course director Claire Quinn on connemara radio from 15:10

http://connemarafm.com/Audio/Fiona-Scullion-show.m4a

It can be found at 15.10 to 29.31.

 

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Details on the course for interested nurses. http://www.nuigalway.ie/courses/taught-postgraduate-courses/childrens-palliative-care-complex-care/