Mother pleads for help as she continues her battle with cancer
Nicola O’Donoghue needs help

Mother pleads for help as she continues her battle with cancer

A MOTHER who was diagnosed with cervical cancer earlier this year is pleading for help as she continues her battle with the disease and resulting financial hardship.

Single mother Nicola O’Donoghue, who is originally from Clondalkin, was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer in May of this year and had to stop working to undergo “radical radiation” five days a week.

With the stage of cancer that Nicola has, there is a lot of pressure on her pelvic bone, and this is creating some difficulty around mobility.

The Tallaght resident is currently having a break from radiation, although she is still experiencing a great deal of pain.

With the need to focus solely on her recovery, and hospital visits now being a prominent part of Nicola’s life, this has put a large burden on her both physically and financially.

“My whole life has been put on hold at the minute,” Nicola tells The Echo.

“I can’t work at the minute either because of the illness and my rent is falling into arrears.

“I’ve had to spend over €2,000 on treatment and trips to and from St James’ Hospital for my radiation.

“I’ve paid taxes my whole life and now that I’ve been sick, I haven’t had any support at all from the council or any charities.

“It’s honestly crazy that people are having to put their hands in their pockets to help other people.

“I really need help, I didn’t want to have to ask for help, but I just need somebody to help me at this stage because I was getting nothing.

“I can’t stand it anymore, if it wasn’t for my son, I’d be on the brink . . . I’m really at my wit’s end.

“If I got any support at all I’d be genuinely so grateful.”

Now, with the possibility of her needing to undergo further treatment and issues with mobility, the Clondalkin native is asking for South Dublin County Council to rehouse her.

“I’m looking for myself and my son to be removed from the house we are currently in because I believe it is not fit for living, and for us to be rehoused somewhere else,” Nicola states.

“My occupational therapist recommended that I live in a bungalow because I’m really struggling to get up and down the stairs.

“With the way these houses are, the kitchen is upstairs. So, I’ve to walk up two flights of stairs to get to my front door and then I’ve another flight up to the kitchen.

“If I need a glass of water in the middle of the night, I do have to ask my 13-year-old son to get it for me because I can’t get up and down the stairs.

“It really is a lot with the condition that I’m in.”

Following five weeks of radiotherapy in St James’s Hospital and weekly chemotherapy at St Luke’s Hospital, Nicola is awaiting a consultation with her oncologist to evaluate what is the best course of action going forward.

Although, with the stage of cancer she has, Nicola is “preparing not to be clear” and is expecting to undergo further treatment.

With this, Nicola’s sister Sarah has launched a GoFundMe to help cover some of the associated costs of her illness and the resulting financial hardship she has fallen into.

Visit GOFundMe for further information.

South Dublin County Council were contacted for comment.

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