‘Now I have my whole world because of the successful treatment’
STEPHANIE Powell is enjoying life now. The 65-year-old grandmother, from Newbridge, Co Kildare has fought an epic seven-year battle against cancer.
She discovered a breast lump in 2011. But she didn’t do anything about it for six months, as she was looking after a sick family member.
“But when I went to the doctor I was sent to St James’ and was diagnosed after a biopsy. Two weeks later I had a lumpectomy and three weeks later I had a procedure to make sure I was clear.”
Stephanie had chemo for six months, drug treatment for a year, seven weeks of radiotherapy and medication for five years.
“I’ve just finished that this year, so the lump is gone.
“It was horrendous in the beginning, soul destroying, being told you have cancer. I have two daughters and at the time my granddaughters, Amy who was 7 and Erin, 3, at the time.
“I’ve got two grandsons now too now,
Joey (3) and Joshua(2), and the children are the light of my life.
“I would not have been here to be a grandmother if I’d been diagnosed 20 years ago. Back then, it was like a death sentence but now I have my whole world because of the successful treatment I received and I can’t thank the Irish Cancer Society and researchers enough for that – they gave me a chance and hope.”
Survivors and families who lost loved ones to cancer, shared their stories yesterday at the launch of Daffodil Day.
Alison Hardy’s mother, Sylvia, had availed of the charity’s night nurse service when she was dying.
The charity had become such a symbol to the Offaly family, Sylvia’s funeral Mass was decorated with daffodils.
“I was very close to mum, we were best friends and did everything together,” Alison said. “It was very hard for her, she always kept the bright side outside but on the day she was told, she went to bed crying.”
The night nurse assisted Sylvia with coming to terms with her impending death.
Sylvia’s widower John Coyle said: “It was important to have Sylvia at home. When the nurse arrived, it was someone to talk to about her worries. People say, ‘How do you get through it?’ You don’t get through cancer, you get dragged through it and you can’t believe it’s happening.”
Mother-of-two Tonia Lawlor (41), from Templeogue, Dublin, found the charity’s volunteer driver scheme a vital help when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia on December 21, 2016.
“I was told if I had waited for Christmas to end, just two weeks, that I’d not have been here,” Ms Lawlor said.
Miriam O’Callaghan officially launched the event, paying tribute to her sister Anne (33), who died in 1995.
“I had a beautiful sister, who had two tiny baby girls and sadly she died of cancer,” she said.
Averil Power, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society, said the charity was experiencing record demand for its services.
“With a strong Daffodil Day we can ensure no-one goes through cancer alone and fund life-saving research,” she said.
Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Day, sponsored by Boots Ireland, takes place on , Friday, March 23