Ambrose is a Diamond geezer

A NORTHSIDE Neil Diamond fanatic has raised a fantastic €1,470 for the Mater Hospital Foundation from a fundraising tribute to his musical hero.

Ambrose O’Shea from Cabra West once attended 10 consecutive Neil Diamond performances and owns a massive collection of the star’s music and memorabilia but he also devotes much of his spare time to raise money for the foundation.

So far the former Dublin Port worker has collected €11,715.81 for the Mater and while his latest fundraising venture at the Venue Theatre in Ratoath, Co Meath, didn’t go exactly to plan, it was still a resounding success.

“Unfortunately the weather was very bad that night and we had a power failure, so we reckon we could have made a lot more,” Ambrose said.

“Bob Drury performed on the night and he was fantastic. He flew in from the UK free of charge for the event.”

Ambrose raised the money for St Vincent’s Day Ward in memory of his wife, Ann, who passed away two years ago.

St Vincent’s is the Oncology & Haematology Unit of the Mater Hospital. Cancer patients from all over Ireland are treated there, mainly for chemotherapy related treatments.

Of the 300,000 patients seen by the Mater annually, St Vincent’s Day Unit treats approximately 200 patients per week.

 “St Vincent’s Day Ward staff were just so amazing to Ann, you could never thank them enough,” Ambrose said.

“So we’ve had a few fundraisers in the last couple of years including a Dave Young show, a dog run, a football match and other charity nights.”

Ambrose is extremely grateful for all the support he has had in this fundraising mission.

“I want to thank all my neighbours and friends,” he said.

“Anytime I do something they all row in behind me. It makes the job a lot easier.”

CEO of the Mater Hospital Foundation Mary Moorhead, described Ambrose as an “amazing supporter” of the Mater Hospital.

“I want to express our deepest gratitude for all of his hard work,” she added.

“The funds raised will make an invaluable difference to patients on the ward who are fighting cancer.

“The newly refurbished St Vincent’s Day Unit was opened to patients in January 2015.  This would not have been achieved without the amazing support of all our incredible donors. 

“The old ward was congested and cramped, which was a struggle for both patients and staff. We have come a long way but improvements can always be made to make our patient’s lives more comfortable, by buying equipment, supporting cancer research and adding small comforts to the ward.”

If you would like to support the work of the Mater Hospital Foundation visit www.materfoundation.ie or call 01-8303482