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Nurse from the Irish Cancer Society’s National Cancer Helpline and Manager of the Cancer Information Service, Naomi Fitzgibbon, talks about how she plans to show her Cancer Fighting Colours and do the Colour Dash, the Society’s new colourful 5k, sponsored by Crown Paints, taking place in Phoenix Park on July 27th.
TALKING ABOUT CANCER is never fun. For most people it is a very dark time and, though they may ultimately come out the other side a stronger person, it is still a subject that can be cloaked in darkness. So much of our work is about trying to make talking about cancer easier – to try to lighten the shade of those conversations.
Even fundraising for cancer or celebrating surviving cancer can still be under a grey cloud. The Colour Dash brings some colour and vibrancy to the cancer cause, giving people a fun, light and colourful way to support cancer. I think that’s why we have had such a great response from the public and the event has sold out.
All the money raised will help support people with cancer through services like the Helpline and we hope that the event will encourage people to talk more openly about their cancer experience. We get queries from people in many different situations with different types of cancer. Our most frequent queries are around the most common cancers prostate, breast, bowel and lung cancers.
Most people just call for advice and support – their diagnosis plunges them into a world they never knew before, a world with a new language full of strange terms and complicated names. Often they will speak to us and ask about things their doctor said.
A doctor’s office can be an intense situation – many patients have so many questions but they can’t remember them during that appointment and afterwards, when back at home, their mind can be swimming with questions and confusion. That’s when they contact us – there’s no pressure – it’s all in their own time and we can help make sense of what their doctor or nurse has said. We give them the time and space to ask all their questions in confidence and give them the added support they need at any stage of their cancer journey.
Others call with a specific problem – a bad reaction or side effect from their treatment that they want our help with.
Recently a man called, confused about his treatment options and unsure of what path to choose. We were able to take him through everything slowly – he called back several times and really went through every question he had. During these conversations we were able to not only talk through his treatment options but also tell him about the different elements of support available to him – including what financial assistance was available to him and how he could be connected with a man who had undergone similar treatment.
The man called back later to say how much we helped put his mind at ease and empower him to make the best decision for him.
It is hugely satisfying to be able to help someone when they need it.
Unfortunately Ireland’s cancer incidence is among the highest in the world. One in three people will develop cancer during their lifetime and everyone is deeply affected in one way or other.
There are always more people to support – our helpline answered almost 30,000 enquires last year by phone and also on social media. We want to be able to support even more calls and enquiries next year.
The good news is that more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Not only is survival increasing but we now know more about how to reduce your risk of getting cancer than ever before. Fifty per cent of cancers are caused by lifestyle choices. So by making changes to our daily lives we can all significantly reduce our risk of cancer in the future if we do the following:
What I would like people to know most is that there is support there for them – whether you have cancer, are post treatment or if you are just worried about something and want to speak to a nurse the National Cancer Helpline is open Monday–Thursday 9am-7pm and Friday 9am-5pm. You can call, Freefone 1800 200 700, for information, support, advice or just a chat or email us helpline@irshcancer.ie
The Colour Dash, sponsored by Crown Paints, takes place on Saturday July 27th – the event is sold out but if you want to volunteer on the day or to make a donation contact Rachel at rtutty@irishcancer.ie, CallSave our team on 1850 60 60 60 or visit www.cancer.ie
The Irish Cancer Society’s Colour Dash, the only powder paint run giving 100% of money raised to charity. Proudly sponsored by Crown Paints. Kindly supported by Spin 103.8.
Do the Dash, get splashed, and raise some cash!
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Thanks Gavin.
What is interesting, certainly for those who wish to see 50%+1 for reunification, is that the proportion of over 65′s is some 4-1 ‘protestant’. I realise this is a crude measurement of unionist strength but while most have been looking at birth rates the real eye-opener will be in mortality rates.
Seems the ‘process’ will take a little longer.
While it is a crude measure of politics, there is some association. From a purely statistical point of view, under 21′s is majority RC now, and the younger you go, the larger that majority. Ironically the association with Britain is hammering the Unionist vote, as more and more young Unionists go to College in England or Scotland and stay there, they just move to what they see as another part of their own country. Young Nationalists and Republicans go to College in the 6, or in the South. All very crude as I say. The key change is that as the British identity dies down and the Anglo-Irish Supremacy culture fade in to history, that many in the North’s loyalist/unionist communities will reaffirm their Irish identity.Christ, they have started Irish dancing lessons and Irish Classes in the Shankill as well. With the Wife of a very prominent UDA man on TV recently encouraging it. In the 70′s, a prominent and very active IRA unit in West Belfast was from the Shankill Rd. The Presbyterian Republican tradition is still in existence, though not as strong as 200 years ago. About 20 % of all SF members in Belfast are from the root stock faith of the Republican tradition.
Thanks for setting me off on a tangent Paul.
On the Basis of Learn, Learn, Learn.
An excellent book ” Hidden Ulster, Protestants and the Irish Language”, 3rd edition 1995. is a absolutely wonderful exploration of this topic. Most of the planters came from the highlands etc of Scotland.They were Gaidhlig speakers anyway, and quickly immersed themselves in Irish. The evidence of this is from their names and records. The Pres. Church was the only church at the start of the last Century to insist that candidates for ordination spoke Irish. The RC church has traditionally been more hostile to all things Irish, it being very much inclined to follow those in power, and keep their flock as little more than a flock
This book is written by Pádraig Ó Snodaigh , himself a member of a Protestant Church, his sons is Aengus ó’Snodaigh, SF TD.
Ok, so you’ve gone for a more generic photo of a crowd of people now… fair enough.. it’s more representative than the crowd in the stand at Windsor Park you had up before!
Is the North, now being referred to as ” the Country”. I’m sure that this will come to news to all sides and none up there, down here, and over there etc..
Tim, yeah I’m familiar with certain sections of protestant interest in the language. I might just take up your recommendation.
The census figures for the year 1851 show “A total island population in the aftermath of the Irish potato famine of 6,552,385 – a fall of 1,622,739 in ten years.”
Todays figures means the population of the island stands at 6,379,600. So we still have some way to go……
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