Advocate for change
We are looking for cancer patients, survivors, family members, caregivers and anyone passionate about improving outcomes for cancer patients to lend their voices to our vital campaigns.
Every day, the Government makes important decisions that impact the lives and wellbeing of people affected by cancer.
Our advocacy team works on a wide range of issues to make sure that cancer patients receive the best care and support before, during and after their cancer treatment. We also lobby the Government to introduce changes that can reduce cancer risk.
By joining our advocacy network, you can help to ensure that the voices of those affected by cancer are heard at all levels of Government.
Meet the people who inspire our advocacy work
Léa Hearst - Debt collection
While Léa was fighting breast cancer in 2018, she began to get calls and letters from debt collectors in relation to inpatient charges she incurred during her treatment.
‘I found this extremely upsetting in the middle of fighting my cancer. I was very fearful about what it might mean for me if I didn’t deal directly with debt collectors. I’m really grateful the Irish Cancer Society is raising this issue.’
Léa eventually received a medical card from the HSE, meaning she doesn’t have to pay these charges and is doing well. She is a committed and passionate patient advocate and is still campaigning for fairness in relation to the financial impact of cancer and for those who are still pursued by debt collectors for unfair inpatient charges.
Sinead Keely - Real cost of cancer
During her treatment for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Sinead faced many extra costs including prescription charges, hospital car parking fees and extra childcare on top of her family’s mortgage payments and regular household bills.
Shortly after her treatment ended, she needed to go back to work before she was “emotionally and mentally ready” to help offset the bills that had mounted up.
It has taken Sinead and her family almost 10 years to financially recover from her illness and she fears getting sick again due to the financial impact she knows comes along with a cancer diagnosis.
Gerry Carroll - Park the charges
Gerry, a 59 year old Acute Myeloid Leukaemia survivor from Dublin faced huge costs for car parking while he was undergoing treatment.
“I stayed in hospital for 115 days and during that time, my wife Trish came to visit me five days a week. It cost her almost €1,200 in parking charges alone in that time. That’s a lot of money. If she was able to get free parking, or even a reduced rate, it would have been a great help to us.”
For more information
Phone
01-2310500
