Meet Shannen, the face of our Daffodil Day campaign
"I have fought cancer twice in my life, having been diagnosed once aged 19 and again aged 24. Thankfully I am now cancer free and I plan to stay that way! I know first-hand how important the services provided by the Irish Cancer Society are, and the need for us to keep funding research into how we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer."
Meet Shannen, a young mum from Youghal who has overcome cancer twice and is sharing her story as part of our annual Daffodil Day campaign.
“I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma twice, when I was at very different stages in my life. When I was first diagnosed at 19 my parents shielded me from so much of the worry. Back then it was all about me. I had to drop out of college, I couldn’t go on nights out. My hair falling out felt like the end of the world.
“At the time of my second diagnosis I was a mother myself and my fear was not for myself but for my little girl, Róisín. It was gut-wrenching to miss out on time with her when I was having treatment, or when I was too unwell to do everyday things like dress her. But Róisín was also my driving force – the reason I got out of bed each day."
“I want to be a voice for men and women, young and old. I want people to know that cancer does not discriminate on the basis of your age or gender. Cancer can come knocking on anyone’s door at any time. This is why it is so important to have the Irish Cancer Society and the services they offer, the research they do and the support they give. From the Night Nurse, the Volunteer Driver Service, to the Survivor Support programme it is vital to raise funds to ensure these services are available to everyone who needs them."
A huge thank you to Shannen for sharing her story and letting us feature her in our 2020 Daffodil Day campaign.
Get involved by holding a coffee morning at home or at work and help make sure that no one in Ireland will face cancer alone.
