MR – The Gift That Keeps On Flowing

Recently, a patient, Chris Pickering, donated a water
cooler to the Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre for
patients, whānau and staff to use on the treatment
floor.

Chris, who used to work for Water4u, thought
the patients could benefit from an in-line cooler.

“I
used to service the coolers throughout the hospital; there
were about eighty of them,” he says.

As Chris was
sitting on the chair of the treatment room, receiving his
second round of chemotherapy, he started to wonder what he
could do to help other patients.

“These people deserve
the best kind of water cooler there is.”

He proceeded
to pay for the cooler and the installation of an upgraded
version.

Chris said the benefit of the water cooler he
bought and installed is that it is self-sufficient (source
from mains water supply), so it is not reliant on someone
re-filling the bottle from a tap.

The risk of
potential contamination is extra important to avoid for
immune-vulnerable people undergoing chemotherapy. This type
of filter does not harbour any bacteria.

The
hardworking staff agreed that the water cooler was a
welcomed gift for them also. No longer having to re-fill the
machine when things are busy, and the water is described as
beautiful.

Chris acknowledges his friend Colin from
Water4u, who donated his time fitting the cooler.

The
Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre was built so that many
Northlanders could have treatment in Whangārei, in a
state-of-the-art facility, saving the long trip to Auckland
and back.

“It is a great atmosphere here, considering
what everyone is going through. I don’t think I’d have
received better service and wrap-around care from Te Whatu
Ora, even if I had been a millionaire,” says Chris with
appreciation to everyone involved in his
journey.

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