Our colleague and friend, Michelle Crawford, is retiring from NISRA at the end of January 2023 after a long service and recent illness. To mark our appreciation for Michelle and everything she has done for us, the Tech Lab are going to do a sponsored walk to raise funds for Hope House. Rather than a leaving gift, Michelle has said she would appreciate a small donation for this charity.

Michelle’s service has obviously extended far beyond the Tech Lab so we’re sharing the JustGiving details so that anyone in NISRA (and beyond) who wants to show their support for Michelle and the work she has done can contribute.

Last year, Michelle stayed in Hope House to get much needed rest and recuperation after one of her surgeries and was touched by the generosity and kindness of the people and restored by the peace and tranquillity of the place. Anyone who has been touched by cancer knows how emotionally and physically difficult it is to cope with a cancer diagnosis and treatment, not only for the patient but those who care about and care for them. Hope House offers a moment of quietude and respite from the rollercoaster cancer patients and their families find themselves on. 

Many of us have been touched by cancer—through personal diagnosis, or by a family member, friend, or colleague diagnosed with the disease, so we all probably know someone who could benefit from the important service provided by Hope House.

The Charity

Hope House Ireland provides free accommodation in beautiful surroundings to cancer patients and their carers at any time during or on completion of their treatment.  Every penny that is donated helps Hope House support people living with cancer and their families and carers, and they rely on the generosity of people to help them provide this free service.  Read more at https://hopehouseireland.org/

The Challenge

In late January we will complete a 5.6 mile walk from Portballintrae to Causeway and back again and would love you to show your support for Michelle by sponsoring us. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity.   It's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity. If you tick the Gift Aid option the government will add 25% on top of your donation - so please remember to do that.

A message from Michelle

In January 2021 I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma. It was news that really rocked me to my core and it has been a difficult journey ever since due to the fact that my cancer has spread a couple of times which required me to have 4 big surgeries and a years’ worth of cancer treatment. What has got me through has not only been the truly outstanding care that I received from Day 1 from my various medical teams (including the oncology team in the Belfast City Hospital and the plastic surgery and radiology teams in the Ulster hospital) but also all the support, love and kindness shown to me by so many people - particularly so many colleagues across NISRA and the wider NICS.

There has however been quite a physical and emotional toll associated with all of the surgeries and treatment. It is therefore with tremendous sadness that I felt that I had to take the unbelievably difficult decision to apply for medical retirement. I know that I am not at the end of my cancer journey and I thus know that I need to ensure that I am in the strongest position possible to fight whatever might lurk round the corner. It honestly breaks my heart to think of leaving my job as a statistician – a job that has given so much to me in the 26 or so years that I have worked in NISRA and one that has allowed me to make so many wonderful friends. However, as hard as it is, I know that it is the right thing for both me and also for my husband Jim who has been by my side throughout.

I will therefore be leaving NISRA at the end of January 2023. Some colleagues have been kind enough to ask if I would like a leaving gift. While I truly appreciate the thought, I know that money is tight for everyone at the minute. Your continued thoughts, prayers, messages of support and kindness have been more than I could have ever wished for. Some have been kind enough to ask if there is any other way that they could mark my retirement. It immediately made me think of the fact that there are so many other people who are trying to navigate their way through the horrible disease that is cancer and there is always a need for cancer patients and their families to find some way of just getting a break from all the stresses that it brings (if only for a day or two).

In that same vein Jim and I were lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to have a respite break in Hope House – a beautiful house located right on the beach in Browns Bay (near Islandmagee) and run by the most amazing couple Dawn and Roy who both have been through their own very tough cancer journey. They know the importance of creating an environment that allows those impacted by cancer to just switch off, relax and try to regroup (particularly important for those who are perhaps unable to go on holidays etc further afield). To know Dawn and Roy is to know two of the most amazing, genuine, kind and generous people I have ever had the privilege of meeting.  The support they offer to all those who stay in Hope House really does last a lifetime. With that in mind I would love to do anything I can to help them (and everyone else at TeamHope) continue the incredibly valuable work that they do. My team in the NISRA Tech Lab have therefore come up with the fantastic idea of doing sponsored walk to allow some monies to be raised for Hope House instead of a leaving gift for me. I am truly overwhelmed again by this act of kindness and generosity. If any of you would like to sponsor the team your contribution will go a long way to helping so many more people suffering from cancer. Thank you in advance and thank you all once again for all your support. Please do keep in touch. I hope all of you and your families have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2023. Michelle x