by Sr. Sheila Campbell MMM                                    Ireland                       25.10.2025

Christine was 13 years old and living on a small farm in the West of Ireland. She went to the local school which was not State-funded but had to generate its own income to meet the overheads and pay the teachers. The school had a monthly fundraiser – a whist drive. It was also an important social event in a rural community!

One day at school her classmate jeered her. “You never bring a prize for the whist drive. This month my mother baked a cake.” Chris thought hard. “I can bring a prize too”, she said. “I can get a turkey!”

Off she went home and asked her mother if she could have a turkey for the school. The parents raised turkeys to provide a little bit of extra income at Christmas time. “Yes”, said her mother, “Come and we will pick one.” That’s how Chris learnt about turkeys, how to choose a good one by pressing the breastbone to see the level of nutrition. “I will have one ready for you in the morning.”

Early next morning Chris was excited about bringing the turkey to school. She got up early, long before anyone else was about. But alas, it had snowed all night, and it was hard to open the shed without shovelling first. But she struggled to get her bike out, found the bag with the frightened looking turkey and she strapped it to the carrier of the bike and set off walking to the village. It was a fair distance away, over three miles. No chance of riding as the road was almost impassable. It was still snowing but she was a determined little girl. She wanted the turkey for the school.

When she eventually got to the village everything was quiet. The school was closed, the church was closed, and the entire village was still sleeping. Chris decided to visit her cousins. Her aunt got a fright when she saw her – “is it bad news? Has somebody died?” “Well, he is almost dead”, she said, pointing to the turkey. “His neck is blue.” Her aunt saw the situation and came up with a solution. Her husband was a butcher. He would finish the job, prepare the turkey and keep it in the freezer until the day of the whist drive.

Chris never forgot that journey. It was tough, but she was determined. The episode stood her to good stead many years later when she had to face bad roads in Nigeria to bring healthcare to the most vulnerable.