WATCH: Christmas comes early for selfless Kildare care worker
Care worker, Ciara Fitzgibbon from County Kildare, was surprised by family and friends with an early Christmas Day recently,
A heart-warming video of the moment Mrs Fitzgibbon was surprised with early Christmas festivities has been published by AVIVA Ireland.
Mrs Fitzgibbon has worked the previous six Christmases caring for people with intellectual disabilities and will work Christmas Day again this year.
The early Christmas Day surprise was organised in conjunction with Aviva Home Insurance as part of their Christmas campaign ‘Because you make Christmas’.
People across the country nominated loved ones who will miss out on spending Christmas at home to be treated to an early Christmas Day celebration.
Mrs Fitzgibbon will spend Christmas Day creating a loving, homely atmosphere for the men that she cares for by cooking dinner, socialising and normalising what is their family home.
She will then put the same effort into making sure that her own home is decorated and food is prepared so that her family can have the perfect Christmas Day.
Mrs Fitzgibbon is mother to four boys, Daragh, Oisín, Tadgh and Ruarí who think what she does is incredible.
Oisín Fitzgibbon, said, "She works 96 hours, weekends and just doesn't ask for anything. I think it's just incredible what she does."
Speaking on the campaign, her husband, Paul Fitzgibbon, said, "People like Ciara are hidden. Society doesn't see them and yet they're part of the cogs that keeps society going. I think it's great of Aviva Home Insurance to actually recognise these people."
The campaign was undertaken following a survey carried out by REDC for Aviva which found that over two thirds of Irish families will be missing family members on Christmas Day this year. Almost half of which will miss someone around the Christmas table due to emigration.
One in ten of the respondents will miss a close family member on Christmas Day due to work commitments.
Mrs Fitzgibbon was nominated to experience an early Christmas Day by both her husband Paul and sister-in-law Liz for her selfless dedication to both her family and her work.
Mr Fitzgibbon said, “I am so delighted that my wonderful wife Ciara was chosen out of hundreds of nominations from around the country. Not only that, but unbeknownst to me, my sister Liz also nominated her all the way from New York, so that really goes to show how special Ciara is."
"She thinks of everyone else before herself so it was fantastic to see the surprise and joy on her face when she walked in the door to find all her family and loved ones around the Christmas dinner table decked out in tinsel, baubles and fairy lights," he continued.
Mr Fitzgibbon thanked Aviva Home Insurance for making it all happen.
