Dr. Tom McGinley fondly remembered as family and Foyle Hospice community celebrate palliative care pioneer - video Dailymotion

Derry Journal

Dr. Tom McGinley fondly remembered as family and Foyle Hospice community celebrate palliative care pioneer

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00:00Following his stroke on the 26th of December 2020, which ironically was the day of his 86th birthday,

00:09in particular, I would like to thank Dr Paul MacGyver.

00:15I phoned Paul on the 28th and I said, Paul, is there any chance that Dad could come to the hospice?

00:24And without any doubt, he said, of course, Kieran, I'll make it happen for you.

00:31Covid at that time was spectacular, but Paul made that happen.

00:38We are very grateful to Paul for allowing Dad to go to the hospice to spend his final day,

00:45surrounded by the people he loved so much and the surroundings that he loved so much.

00:52As Keith mentioned in his presentation, Dad had a great passion for caring for people.

00:59And even after he retired as a GP, he continued with that steely determination,

01:06making sure that end of life care would be better for those who needed it.

01:12And believe it or not, unknown to most, he did this as a volunteer.

01:17About a year before her death, Deidre wrote a letter to Tom, while fully aware of what lay ahead.

01:29Her daughter Aisling would read this letter.

01:34Tom, his grandson, would follow reading the letter, written by his grandfather,

01:39during April 2003, just a few weeks before they began.

01:46During the reading of these letters, Molly, Tom's granddaughter, would accompany us on the pyre.

02:16My personal tribute to a wonderful husband.

02:30There is nothing in this world that I could buy, or nothing that I could do for Tom,

02:37to repay the care, encouragement, and undying love that he has given me.

02:45Especially, over the last eight years, in my little club with the council.

02:52He has been alongside me every step of the way,

02:56while still attending to so many other suffering, sick, and diseased people.

03:02To say that he has gone on an extra mile for me is an understatement.

03:08I would not be writing this today, except for those qualities which God instilled in him,

03:15and which he has put to such wonderful use, often in the face of adversity.

03:22So many people thought he was crazy, when he first joined the fundraising for Hustleton North West.

03:30When he has proved, he is still crazy after all.

03:35Thank you Tom, for how I believe what a fortunate woman I am,

03:40to have such a remarkable and compassionate husband.

03:46God will be sharing all my sights too.

04:06He was also a man of great compassion.

04:11He often referred to himself as a blow-in from Donegal,

04:16but he loved this city, and he loved the people of this city.

04:22And over time, the people of this city grew to love and adore him.

04:30It's great to see so many of the staff here this evening that worked with Dad over the years,

04:37and I have no doubt that you will have your great memories of him.

04:43And you will not only have seen him as a great leader, and a great mentor,

04:49but you will also have seen him as your friend.

04:53I was very fortunate to work alongside him for many years,

04:58and I also had him as my mentor, and he inspired me every single day that I worked there.

05:06He supported and guided me in my journey in fundraising until I left in 2019.

05:12His legacy lives on, and will never be forgotten.

05:38Dear Drew, in the middle of this storm, I thank you for knowing me too well

05:43and for expressing my innermost feelings and thoughtful duties to me today.

05:48Thank you for sharing your love with me.

05:51Thank you for experiencing me the highs and lows of our life journey.

05:56Thank you for your unselfish support during my contracted illness early in my life together.

06:06The various challenges in my life that followed my recovery, studying, my fellowship, the marathons,

06:13and other forms of life in an employed hospice, required time, and space,

06:18and we were extremely generous in allowing me to go to them.

06:23The courage and inner strength that you showed us is your direct concert husband of ours.

06:30You are a shining example of what goes with similar inspiration.

06:35You've also been an inspiration to me and my wife's family.

06:41One day at a time has been your motto and your guiding principle.

06:46Yesterday is history, tomorrow is history, and today is a gift from God.

06:56The night out at the constituency feels particularly important for me

07:00as it gave me the opportunity to express some of the depth and friendship that I hold dear.

07:07You've always been loving, caring, understanding, forgiving, and supportive.

07:16I hope that you will always know just how much I love you and how much I really care.

07:25This is to grow up and love for years.

07:29Tom.

07:37Tonight, I want to pay a very special tribute.

07:43A word of congratulations and thanks to my good friend, Dr. Keating.

07:55He took me to a pub one day last year and he said,

07:58I'm going to write a book about your dad.

08:00Some people think I'm mad, and to be quite honest, I thought you were mad too.

08:06Some people think I'm mad, but he said, I'm really determined to make it happen.

08:11The story needs to be told.

08:14Well, Keating, you've done it, and you've proved your dad was wrong.

08:19So congratulations to you.

08:28We are very thankful to you on behalf of everyone

08:32for the love and commitment that you gave to this project

08:36and for giving us so many written memories that we can now cherish forever.

08:42Finally, yes, finally,

08:45I would like to thank all of you for coming along this evening

08:48to lend your support to Keating

08:50and for making this book launch such a huge success.

08:54I have no doubt you all have your own fond memories of my father.

09:00I heard a story the other day of somebody who went into surgery

09:05when he was a GP looking for an antibiotic for a sore throat.

09:09They came out with a cock-a-doodle-do.

09:12I'm not saying that for the weekly drug.

09:17As I said, you will all have your own memories.

09:20As I said, you will all have your own memories.

09:24But for myself, Ashling O'Shea, he was our dad.

09:31And we love and miss him and our mum so very much.

09:35Go raibh maith agaibh.

Dr. Tom McGinley fondly remembered as family and Foyle Hospice community celebrate palliative care pioneer

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