A Galway woman who was diagnosed with a stage 3 triple breast cancer last year is urging the people of Galway to support cancer patients by getting involved with the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day on Friday March 24.
47-year-old Barbara Blue received the devastating news that she had triple negative breast cancer on the day of her daughter, DeAnna’s 21st birthday.
“I was by myself when they gave me the diagnosis, I was stunned and really numb at first. I was asking the consultant questions but couldn’t fully absorb everything he said, it just felt too surreal.
“He left the room, I made eye contact with the support nurse, and then I just started bawling. I kept thinking how it was my daughter’s 21st birthday and I had to break such awful news to her, and that broke my heart. I also just felt shocked and scared.”
Barbara is still undergoing chemotherapy every two weeks, and will then be undergoing surgery, followed by radiotherapy.
Although Barbara has had a very tough year (she also lost her Dad in 2022 ) she says that she has been blown away by the incredible support and kindness she has received from family, friends, work colleagues, and various acquaintances.
She is encouraging everyone to get involved this Daffodil Day, so that nobody in Ireland has to face cancer alone.
On top of funding life-changing cancer research, the Irish Cancer Society provides vital services and supports to patients and their families across Galway each year, including 474 free counselling sessions, 314 nights of in-home Night Nursing for patients in their final days, and 372 free lifts to get patients safely to and from their hospital appointments in 2022.
The Irish Cancer Society is calling on the public to take part in any way they can to show solidarity and support for anyone affected by cancer, and says that this year’s Daffodil Day is their most important yet.
As well as donating at Cancer.ie and volunteering to help fundraise, people can purchase items from the Daffodil Day online shop and take part in a steps challenge.
The Society is also looking for volunteers to sell their Daffodil Pins in Eyre Square Shopping Centre and Galway Shopping Centre across Saturday 25 and 26 of March. If you are interested in helping out please register at cancer.ie/daffodilday Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said that very three minutes, someone in Ireland, hears the words ‘you have cancer’. Cancer takes from us every day. It takes big days, little days, and everything in-between.
“It replaces them with treatment days and recovery days. But together, we have the power to take these days back from cancer. The Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day is a day to give hope and raise vital funds so that one day, cancer can take no more.
“Daffodil Day is our most important fundraising event of the year with donations funding crucial supports including our Support Line, free counselling, our Night Nurses service, and financial support for families of children affected by cancer. The public’s generosity on Daffodil Day allows us to support life-changing cancer research,” she added.
“At the Irish Cancer Society we want to support every single person in Ireland affected by cancer. But we cannot do this without your help. We typically receive 3% of our funding from the State. It’s only because of the generous support of the Irish public we are able to provide our free services and fund life-changing cancer research projects. We ask everyone to please get out there and help us turn Ireland daffodil yellow once again on March 24.”
For more information about Daffodil Day visit www.Cancer.ie/DaffodilDay .
