Stacey was only 8 years old, when her cancer journey started. The school girl had developed a large lump on her cheek, which her GP thought might be a cyst. Stacey’s father, himself a cancer survivor, was worried that the lump might be something more sinister and Stacey was referred to a specialist. At Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin, she received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“At the time I was 8 so I didn’t really realise what cancer was,” recalls Stacey. “More so, they were telling me I might lose my hair and that was a much bigger thing at that age. They did sit me down and explain that I was very sick, and that I would have to have lots of medicine and stay in hospital. Then as I was going through it, I realized how severe it was.”

Stacey had eight months of chemotherapy as well as surgery, which meant going up and down to Crumlin. Because her immune system was weakened by her treatment, she frequently picked up infections during this time, and was regularly admitted to hospital in Limerick.

During her illness, cancer took many days from Stacey, including school days where she missed seeing her friends and did her lessons with a teacher in hospital, and trips to the family holiday home in Ballybunion that had to be cut short when she got ill. A later worry was that cancer might take away her ability to have children.

Stacey had her last appointment at her cancer clinic 10 years after her diagnosis and is doing well today, and she is also a proud mum of two.

 “I was told that there was a possibility I couldn’t have children because of my treatment but here I am now with a four year old and a nine month old,” she says.

Her advice to others who are facing a cancer diagnosis is to take all the support they can get. “I had all my family’s support behind me and that’s what kept me strong. Keep telling yourself that you can get through it.”

She urges people to support Daffodil Day this year, the day we take part and take back so that one day cancer can take no more.

“March 25 is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Irish Cancer Society, and I would encourage people to get involved and support Daffodil Day so that we can take back from cancer,” says Stacey.