James (Jimmy) Cooney, Immediate Past Master of St Martins Lodge, 2812, which meets in Bletchley, has, helped provide various items of much needed medical equipment and training for two local hospitals over the last few months.
Earlier in 2016 Jimmy, along with Ken Priest, also a member of St Martins Lodge, raised over £3,000, towards the cost of an ICare machine for Milton Keynes Hospital. At a cost of more than £4,000 they were still a little shy of the total and the Bucks Masonic Centenary Fund was delighted to step in and make up the shortfall.
The ICare machine helps in the detection of glaucoma, and allows doctors to check the pressure in the eyes of children and adults without the need to use anaesthetic.
Jimmy followed this up with a donation of £600 to the Cancer-Care Wing at Kettering General Hospital in memory of his late father, Peter Cooney, also a former member of St Martins Lodge and who was cared for with compassion and dignity by the staff at the hospital.
Centenary Wing Matron Laura Moore said: “We would like to thank Mr Cooney and his family for this very generous donation. We plan to use the money to fund some additional education and training, to help us further improve the care we offer.”
Finally, last month, Jimmy was able to arrange the £680 funding for a urinalysis machine for the Endoscopy Unit at MK Hospital. The machine checks patient’s urine when they undergo for a flexible Cystoscopy. Many patients are coming for checks because they have had prostate cancer, bladder cancer or blood in their urine.
The lead urology consultant at MK hospital Mr Iqbal Anjum said: “Jimmy has worked tirelessly to acquire a digital microscopy machine for dipstick urinalysis for the use of our urology department; thus removing the need for human visual analysis.”
Jimmy added: “I have been delighted to be able to help both Kettering and MK Hospitals with funding for various items. In particular, Bucks Freemasons have an ongoing initiative to raise Prostate Cancer awareness and provide free PSA testing, for all, at various Masonic Centres throughout the county. It is also one of the many and varied ways in which Buckinghamshire Freemasons’ core values of Friendship, Integrity and Charity are used to benefit the local community and underline our commitment to assisting everyone wherever we can.”
Picture shows Jimmy with his mother, Lynda, and Kettering Hospital Matron, Laura Moore, enjoying the ‘cheque presentation’ for the Cancer-Care Wing.