JoJo’s army raising awareness and funds for cancer research
By Mary Dennehy
THE daughters of a Tallaght woman who passed away in May have encouraged young people to be aware of and get checked for hereditary cancers, as they bravely prepare to take on the mini-marathon in memory of their mam.
On May 15, Joanne Malone, who underwent treatment for breast cancer, passed away at the age of 47.
According to Joanne’s family, the mother-of-two had received the all-clear at the start of May after a successful bout of chemotherapy.
However, Joanne, who is the mother of two girls, aged 26 and 16 years, sadly suffered a stroke a week later - and passed away on May 15.
Speaking with The Echo, Joanne’s eldest daughter Rachel (26) said that in memory of her mam and to continue her mission of raising awareness and funds for cancer research, the family will take on the mini-marathon under the team name of JoJo’s Army.
Rachel told The Echo: “My mam had her t-shirts ready for the mini-marathon and was all organised, so we have decided to continue the fundraising on her behalf and will take part in the mini-marathon as JoJo’s Army.
“We want to raise awareness as well as raising funds for cancer research.”
Joanne was not the only one in her family to be diagnosed with breast cancer, with her sister and niece both undergoing treatment.
BRCA gene test
According to Rachel, all of the females in the family went for the BRCA gene test, with most testing positive for BRCA 1 gene which, a hereditary gene, means that they have a higher lifetime risk of developing breast cancer than the general population.
“Anybody who has had a mam or aunties diagnosed with breast cancer is entitled to go for the BRCA gene 1 test,” Rachel said.
“Not a lot of people know this, and they should.
“That’s why our campaign is also towards younger people, who should go and talk with their GP if they have any questions about their family history or testing.
“Because we are aware of our family [medical] history, we go for regular check-ups and MRIs, which have the benefit of picking up any changes in our bodies quickly.”
Describing her mam as the life and soul of the party, Rachel and more than 20 family members and friends are planning to walk, run, jog, jump or dance their way through the mini-marathon this Sunday, June 3, in aid of cancer research.
Appealing for support on their GoFundMe page, the family said: “We can’t change our DNA but what we can do is raise as much as we can for researching a cure for our next generation and the generation after that.”
To support the campaign visit the JOJO’s Army GoFundMe page.
