As a professional Bereavement Counsellor having worked in the hospice movement for over 20 years, I hear of many encounters within our community that touch my heart.

I would like to share one such recent encounter with you, that touched me deeply, because of the level of generosity and understanding for charity, supporting the most vulnerable in our community. Whether that be patients in their final days of life or children who have nothing or very little in their lives. To achieve both of these paths of compassion from such a young man was humbling.

Casper is 7 years old and as he told me, his Mummy and Daddy work very hard to give him nice things and he understands that Mr. Joe who lives across the road from him, works with people who are very poorly, and they need Doctors, Nurses, and special people to help them.  The conversation then took my breath away, when he told me that he also knew that there were children who did not have nice things as he had, because their Mummies and Daddies could not afford to give them the same as he had. 

He then announced that he wanted to give the toys and clothes he did not play with or wear anymore to the hospice to sell, to help the poorly people and for the Mummies and Daddies who could buy them for their children with no toys or very few.

I was humbled by this act of generosity and compassion from a young man with a big heart and with an understanding of community, even though he might not have the words to express that, but as we know actions can speak louder than words sometimes. 

My thank you to him did not seem big enough, but it was all I had in the light of his compassion, so I felt sharing this encounter may help you to see how powerful our community is and how much we at St Rocco’s appreciate your support and generosity.