Waterford woman diagnosed with cervical cancer urges support for Daffodil Day

A Waterford woman who was diagnosed with cervical cancer aged 25 is urging the people of Waterford to support cancer patients by getting involved with the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day on Friday March 24. 

Mother of one, Bronwyn Reidy underwent a combination of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and brachytherapy. She says she received great help from the Irish Cancer Society through the travel2care funding, a grant offered to patients travelling to cancer treatment. As well as incredible support from the Society’s Daffodil Centre nurses.

“Mary from the Daffodil Centre was like an angel sent from heaven. She was so, so good to me. You’re in a blur, and it’s like you’re there but it’s not registering because there was so much going on. Mary was giving me all the books and she talked me through everything. As a young woman my first concern was ‘am I going to lose my hair’, and she was able to answer all of those questions for me.”

Bronwyn with her daughter Mil

On top of funding life-changing cancer research, the Irish Cancer Society provides vital services and supports to patients and their families across Waterford each year, including 1354 free counselling sessions, 117 nights of in-home Night Nursing for patients in their final days, and 211 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.  

Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said: Every 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

“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