Dig deep this Daffodil Day to fund critical support for people diagnosed with cancer
By Mary Dennehy
PEOPLE have been encouraged to dig deep this Daffodil Day to help the record number of people being diagnosed with cancer.
There are currently 165,000 people living with cancer in Ireland, with 8,810 people diagnosed with the disease in Dublin over a 12-month period.
Speaking at the recent launch of Daffodil Day in the Citywest Conference Centre, presenter Miriam O’Callaghan, who lost a sister to cancer, said: “Tragically a person dies from cancer every hour in Ireland, but for so many people there’s also great hope.
“More people are surviving cancer now than ever before thanks to lifesaving research.”
She added: “Like so many Irish people, I have lost loved ones to cancer.
“I lost my precious sister Anne who was just 33 when she died.
“On March 23 [Daffodil Day] people of Dublin can help fund lifesaving research and crucial services to ensure cancer patients and their families are properly supported.”
The Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society, Averil Power, also appealed to the public to support cancer patients in the community.
“As the number of Irish people with cancer increases, record numbers are turning to the Irish Cancer Society for information, care and support,” Averil said.
“Only two per cent of our funding comes from the State. We are therefore hugely dependent on the generosity of the public to fund vital services used locally.”
She added how last year, the number of people using the charity’s Volunteer Driver Service to travel to chemotherapy appointments increased by fifteen per cent – with a total of 3,639 journeys covered for patients in Dublin.
The charity’s Night Nursing service also provided 1,100 nights of care to terminally-ill patients locally in their own homes, and according to Averil, none of this would be possible without strong support for Daffodil Day.
For further information on the Irish Cancer Society or how you can support Daffodil Day visit www.cancer.ie.
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