Palliative care isn’t about keeping you alive, it’s about keeping you living
Mayo Hospice allowed Orla Freeman to be a wife, rather than a carer, and she
will never forget the care and compassion she and her family received.
Choosing how to life
Shane Freeman was just 44 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer and for six years, he lived well. A young man, with an adoring wife and three sons, he managed his symptoms as best he could and never let his illness get in the way.
In his final 12 months, it became clear his illness would not be cured. Shane was reluctant to enter hospice care, fearing it meant giving up, but for the last 11 weeks of his life he was under palliative care at Mayo Hospice in Castlebar.
Instead of being something to fear, it became a home away from home: a new lease of life, with day trips, nights at home, and quality time that made the family’s last weeks together feel normal, proving a lifeline for them all.
“Palliative care isn’t about keeping you alive, it’s about keeping you living. It allowed me to be Shane’s wife, rather than his carer”
The Time That Was Theirs
The Hospice team became part of the family, giving Shane and Orla time for day trips, honest conversations with their three sons, and moments of ordinary life together.
In September 2025, Shane passed away peacefully at Mayo Hospice, having planned every detail of his funeral. Before he died, with the help of the hospice team, he arranged one final gift for his boys: a chain carrying his fingerprint, given to them on Christmas Day.
“The nurses never made us feel like a burden. They made us feel held.”
“Knowing other families get this same care is why we fundraise every year now.”
The Walsh family · Castlebar
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