Official Opening of the Croí Family Room in the Coronary Care Unit at University Hospital Galway

Croí, the Heart and Stroke Charity, recently funded the furnishing and redesign of a new family room for the Coronary Care Unit at University Hospital Galway. The Coronary Care Unit is a specialist unit for patients recovering after an acute heart attack or with other serious heart conditions. It is the primary heart unit for the Saolta Hospital Group and patients from all parts of the West and North West of the country are cared for there.

Commenting on the importance of the new family room, hospital manager Ms Chris Kane said, “Many of the patients treated in the Coronary Care Unit arrive by ambulance or helicopter with little time to prepare for a hospital stay. They come from all parts of the country and having a family room available makes a huge difference to the families who may travel long distances to the hospital in stressful situations. We are very appreciative of the support from Croí which made the new family room possible.”

Rosetta Reilly from Co Cavan who spent time in the family room earlier this year while her mother was under the care of the Coronary Care Unit said, “Our family were delighted to have use of the Croí Family Room for the duration of our mother’s six night hospital stay. I was here every day and the rest of the family visited daily from Cavan. We were able to have a cup of tea together between visits to the Coronary Care Unit and I was able to rest here too. Living so far from the hospital, it was fantastic to have a home away from home which allowed us to be close to our mother.”

Christine Flanagan, Croí’s Director of Fundraising said, “We are proud of the beautiful space that has been created with the Croí Family Room. Part of our mission here at Croí is to support families faced with heart disease or stroke, and we wanted to provide a calming space for families going through a difficult time as their loved ones receive care in University Hospital Galway.”

To redesign the family space in the hospital, Croí joined up with Interior Designer Rosie O’Connell, who generously donated her time for the project. “Rosie collaborated with the team at the hospital and really helped transform the room into a calm space for families to recharge,” says Flanagan.

“Croí’s work is entirely funded from the proceeds of fundraising events, voluntary contributions and philanthropy. The Croí Family Room refurbishment was made possible thanks to generous donations to Croí’s Patient and Family Support Services fund. Other Croí Patient and Family Support Services include free accommodation in the Courtyard Apartments at Croí, where families can stay close to a loved one who is undergoing surgery or receiving stroke or cardiac care at Galway University Hospitals. To learn more about Croí, the Heart and Stroke Charity, visit www.croi.ie.”