‘I just do the best I can for my sons’
William (75) wins national ‘Carer of the Year’ award
Aged 75-years-old William McLaughlin has been caring for his special needs sons, Kevin (38) and Matthew (35), since the death of his wife fourteen years ago.
This week the extraordinary Buncrana pensioner was given national recognition for his efforts, becoming the proud recipient of a national Red Cross ‘Carer of the Year’ award.
William has sometimes found the going tough, looking after his sons on his own since the sudden loss of Ann to cancer in 2000, but generally he ‘just gets on with it’.
“I’m used to looking after them at this stage; they’re not too bad for me, they agree to most things,” he said. “I do still miss Ann very much and it can be difficult at times without her but I just get on with things and try to do the best I can,” the Ballymagan man added.
The retired bread-man knew nothing about the Red Cross award until a day before the ceremony in the Inishowen Gateway Hotel last Thursday night.
“I couldn’t believe it. Kathy had entered me into the contest but I didn’t know anything about it. She told me last Wednesday to be in the Gateway the following evening but I didn’t know what was in store for me,” he said.
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