Fundraisers aim to buy €1m MRI scanner

Mayo's goodwillThree fundraising groups are set to harness the goodwill of the people of Mayo in an attempt to provide a €1 million MRI scanner at the county's main hospital.

The three Mayo charities - Cancer Action Mhaigh Eo, Bright Eyes and The Ultimate Challenge - will later this month officially launch their joint effort to meet the target within two years.

The MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanner, which is used to "stage" cancer and detect secondaries will be a major boost to cancer treatment services at Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar.

Consultant surgeon Kevin Barry explained that since October last a mobile MRI service had been available on two days every month at the hospital.

"Once a fortnight it arrives on the back of a truck and about 15 people line up for their scan," he said. While the mobile service was a modern streamlined facility which was discreetly parked beside the hospital's X-ray department, the ideal situation in a 320-bed hospital like Castlebar would be to have the facility on site. Until October last, Mayo cancer patients had to travel to Dublin or Galway to have MRI scans.

Mayo has a tradition when it comes to raising funds for medical equipment. In February 2000, a CT scanner was provided at the Mayo General after £750,000 was raised in the community. Last month Cancer Action Mhaigh Eo was honoured by the Mayo Association in Dublin which presented the group with its "Meitheal" award in recognition of outstanding service to the community.

Founder Michael Browne from Killasser, Co Mayo, admits he has been stunned by the group's success. In its first year the charity made £170,000 including some £100,000 raised through an 80-mile sponsored cycle. "When I started out I approached young people who were not already involved in any other committees and we sat down and planned a few events," he said.

The first thing the group did was approach the hospital and identify a wish list. After a year Cancer Action Mhaigh Eo was able to buy a device known as a "sentinel lymph node mapper" which means women with breast cancer no longer automatically had to have under-arm lymph glands removed. The device means that the amount of surgery is reduced as well as the related pain, discomfort and swelling, Mr Barry said.

A new team led by Noel Smith then took over. "I lost both my parents to cancer and when somebody you love has a cancer, you can feel a bit useless. I felt I wanted to do something," Mr Smith said.

The group continues to comprise mostly young adults in their 20s and 30s and in the second year they raised an impressive £90,000 which will provide an immediate boost to the MRI kitty.

Bright Eyes was set up by the parents of a young Castlebar woman, Angela Devanney, who died after a battle with malignant melanoma. The group has raised €150,000 which was used to buy a breast ultrasound scanner for Mayo General.

The Ultimate Challenge is the brainchild of builder Pat McCormack from Westport who proved his dedication when he rowed the equivalent of a 26-mile marathon on a rowing machine set up on the back of a truck.