After seven years of tireless commitment at the helm of Madrugada, Alison Blair has announced she will step down as Executive President at the end of November 2016.
Alison has been the vision and driving force behind Madrugada’s growth and development as a provider of help and support to people facing life-limiting illness: in particular, end-of-life palliative care at home.
The person-centred holistic approach delivered by Madrugada provides clinical, emotional, spiritual and social support to the patient and extends this to close family and carers as well.
To date, some 90 patients have benefited from Madrugada’s 'hospice at home' service: a unique offering in Portugal. None of this would have happened without Alison’s enthusiastic and empathetic oversight coupled with the help of countless volunteers, nurses and care workers.
Most importantly, the public through its generosity, donations and support of Madrugada’s charity shops, events, and the Madrugada Support Centre in Luz, continue to contribute to Madrugada providing its services free-of-charge.
Alison has brought enormous creativity, energy and flair to the challenges of raising funds; coping with bureaucracy, and most of all, overturning misconceptions about palliative care and what Madrugada aims to provide. Her cheerful disposition, determination and resolve have won through where many others would have given up.
The many letters of gratitude from 'Madrugada Families’ are testament to the importance and success of what Alison set out to achieve when the idea to create the organisation was conceived in February 2009.
Alison’s well-deserved break will allow her to reconnect with her three dogs, her husband and her many other talents. Alison’s successor will be announced at the forthcoming Madrugada AGM in November, 2016. We are hugely indebted to Alison and wish her well for the future.
John Hough
Vice-President
Madrugada Associação
