Irish Cancer Society urge public to take part in Daffodil Day to support them in “race against time”

TV presenter Anna Daly was joined by pharmacist and influencer Jess Redden today, urging the public to take part in the Irish Cancer Society’s most important Daffodil Day yet, on Friday, March 24th. 

The Irish Cancer Society want Daffodil Day to be a reminder of the urgency to catch up on the detection of thousands of cancers remaining undiagnosed since the start of the pandemic. 

Anna and Jess have felt the harsh reality of cancer in their lives and are encouraging everyone to ‘take part and take back’, show their support for cancer patients and their families and get involved this March.

It comes as an estimated 2,600 cancer diagnoses were missed in 2020 alone due to the Covid pandemic and catch up remains difficult due to demands on the health service.

The Irish Cancer Society will use Daffodil Day to fund its vital free services such as drives to and from cancer treatment, the Freephone Support Line and Daffodil Centres staffed by experienced cancer nurses, the Night Nursing service providing end of life care and counselling for anyone affected by cancer. 

Donations from the public will also provide funding for state-of-the-art cancer research and life-saving cancer trials. 

 Pharmacist and influencer Jess Redden, who lost her Dad, Brian to cancer during the pandemic said “When a parent dies, it's a club that nobody wants to join. But when you do, it's important to know that others are there to support you. Because of cancer, I’ll miss my dad at the big moments and small moments throughout my life. Cancer takes so much from so many and I’d urge everyone to join in on Daffodil Day so we can take something back.

The Support Line from the Irish Cancer Society is an invaluable resource, I always went back and relied on the information that the Society provided during dad’s diagnosis. And their investment in research and cancer trials means people’s lives will be saved in the future. Dad was always giving back to charity and I know he would be proud to see me raising awareness for Daffodil Day this year.”

Television presenter Anna Daly, whose Dad, Noel was diagnosed with cancer in 2020 said “My Dad Noel was diagnosed with cancer just as the pandemic began. Going through his illness in addition to the fears, worries and complications of having treatment during Covid made it very tough. It affected the whole family.

“I believe that any health expert you ever talk to at all, will tell you that the earlier you catch cancer, the better chance you have. It’s terrifying to think there are undiagnosed cancers out there that would normally be picked up. Dad is through the worst of it now, but he will still have to manage it for the rest of his life. Cancer has taken a lot from our family in terms of time spent worrying and not being able to enjoy things fully but we’re lucky to still have Dad when many others haven’t been so fortunate. We’re looking forward to joining this campaign and taking something back on behalf of everyone who has gone through a cancer experience. I would encourage anyone who can, to get out there on Daffodil Day on March 24th and support the Irish Cancer Society, to help them be there for those who need it most.”

The Irish Cancer Society says that this will be their biggest Daffodil Day yet and are hoping to raise €4 million in funding to support their services and life-changing research. They are ensuring that every person affected by cancer in Ireland has the support they need, when they need it most. The Society is also funding Your Health Matters Roadshows across the country to engage with the public and encourage awareness around signs and symptoms of cancer and get people to take up GP appointments. 

Averil Power, Chief Executive, Irish Cancer Society said “Our key message this Daffodil Day is that cancer needs more focus than ever before. There is now a race against time to find missed cancers so patients can begin treatment as soon as possible. We know that in 2020 alone, over 2,600 cancers went undetected due to Covid. We need every service in the Irish Cancer Society to be ready for the fact that there will be greater numbers of cancers detected at an advanced stage and others that are beyond curative treatment. The free counselling we provide, alongside our nurses who offer endless support and advice to families, and sadly, our Night Nursing service, will all be under increased pressure over the next year because of the impact of the pandemic on cancer services. We need the help of the public to ensure these services can withstand the increased demand on them. 

“The earlier cancer is caught, the easier it is to treat, and the greater the person’s chances are of surviving the disease. The five-year survival for breast cancer for example is 94% at stage one and only 19% at stage four.”

“At the Irish Cancer Society we want to support every single person in Ireland affected by cancer. Over recent years and because of the public’s generosity, we have significantly increased investment in our services, in counselling and in cancer trials. We have also launched a free health check roadshow, Your Health Matters, which has visited communities across the country. But there is so much more that we need to do. We’re asking the public to rally around us to help us make this the biggest Daffodil Day ever, to ensure nobody in Ireland faces cancer alone.”

As well as donating at www.cancer.ie or volunteering to help fundraise this Daffodil Day, people can purchase items from the Daffodil Day online shop and take part in a Steps Challenge.  

For more information about Daffodil Day visit www.Cancer.ie/DaffodilDay .