A young Laois woman has opened up about her cancer story as she encourages everyone to support Daffodil Day later this month.
Ellen Deegan from Stradbally was just 15-years-old when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Speaking to LaoisToday, Ellen recalls how initially, she remembers just feeling really tired.
She said: “It was March 2021 and I just started feeling really tired, like all of the time. But I didn’t really think too much of it.
“I remember not really being able to do much, like with friends or anything. I was just asleep the whole time.
“And then it was just really sudden after that. I went to sleep one night, woke up the next morning and there was just a big lump on the side of my neck.
“The last thing I ever thought of was that would be cancer. I was 15.
“So I went downstairs, showed my mam and we went down to the doctors then in Stradbally. They measured the lump and just gave me antibiotics.
“I went home then and took the antibiotics for a few days and the lump just started getting bigger and more sore.
“And so we went and ended up going back down then to the doctors. And from there on, then they referred us into the hospital in Portlaoise.”
After Ellen ended up in Portlaoise, things began to move very quickly and her diagnosis was revealed.
Ellen said: “I went into the hospital then and they did blood tests and they did an ultrasound, then they told me I’d have to stay for the night.
“I was in the hospital in Portlaoise for four or five nights. I just had my mam and dad coming in to me every night.
“And then we did a CT scan. And from there, that’s when they found out it was cancer. But nobody had told me yet that it was.
“They just sat down with my mam and told her that that they found it. They could see from the CT scan that it was cancer. And they sent me in an ambulance up to Crumlin Hospital.
“I was still thinking, ‘no, I’m fine’. In Crumlin, they did a biopsy and still I hadn’t a clue what was going on.”
Unknown to Ellen, at this stage, she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Ellen said: “There’s the Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the non-Hodgkin’s. So I met with two teams of consultants.
“And one of them came in and I heard someone say the word ‘chemotherapy’. And I heard them go on about wigs then as well.
“I didn’t really feel like it was kind of the right way to say it to me. Like my mam wanted to tell me herself.
“When the consultants left, I just said to my mam, ‘what’s going on? Like, you know, I heard the word chemotherapy there’.
“And I found out then that night. And yeah, it was a shock. I was initially upset when I found out first of course.”
It was after here that Ellen had her first encounter with Irish Cancer Society.
She said: “Some time after I came home from hospital, I had to go do egg retrieval.
“That was thanks to the Irish Cancer Society, their childhood fertility project that was all funded by them.”
Ellen began her chemotherapy in April of 2021 and her treatment lasted for six months.
Ellen said: “The first half of the treatment, the first few months, was very, very intense. I was in the hospital for five days at a time getting treatment.
“I was going up and down from Stradbally every day. I didn’t want to stay up in the hospital or anything.
“So I was up and down every day for five days and then I had the weekend off and then you’re back up on the Monday and then you did a week off at work like that.
“I remember the first time I went up for it. It was so strange. It was so new to me. The nurses up there were great, though.
“I didn’t really feel the effects of it till afterwards. I had severe pains in all of my bones and like my knees. That was really hard. So it made it quite hard to walk with that.
“Whenever I got that pain, I couldn’t walk at all. And I had really bad mouth ulcers, too. So that was that was really tough.
“I finished up the treatment at the end of September, I think it was. And luckily, I didn’t have to go for any radiation or anything because I responded well to the treatment.”
Thankfully, Ellen has remained cancer free ever since and she is now a patient of St James’ Hospital where they keep a check to make sure everything is OK.
Ellen said: “The advice I would have for people is if they notice any sort of changes in themselves, to go get it checked out, because you could leave those things for so long and think you’re fine.
“And in reality, it’s it’s a lot better to just go in and just make sure that everything’s OK.
“And even myself now, if there was something wrong with me, I’d be straight down to the doctors. I just like to have the peace of mind.”
Ellen is currently studying English and Geography in Mary Immaculate College where she is approaching the end of her second year.
Ellen is now thankfully doing well and wants to encourage her community to support this year’s Daffodil Day on March 28.
She said: “Every euro raised on Daffodil Day is crucial and makes a real lasting difference, fuelling life changing cancer research and vital support services.
“I would encourage everyone to please get out there and donate on Daffodil Day, March 28, and show your support for those affected by cancer in your local community.”
The Irish Cancer Society is there to ensure that every person affected by cancer has a place to turn to, the support they need and the hope that there will come a day when no one in Ireland dies from cancer.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of the Irish public, the Irish Cancer Society invests in groundbreaking cancer research and delivers crucial free support services for people affected by cancer, throughout Laois.
In 2024, your generous support provided:
- Almost 400 free lifts to bring Laois-based cancer patients to their treatment
- Over 310 free counselling sessions to people living in Laois
- Over 280 nights of free Night Nursing care to allow cancer
- patients in Laois to die at home surrounded by loved ones
- Our Cancer Nurses had over 240 conversations with people living in Kilkenny on our Support Line and in our Daffodil Centres.
Where the donations go:
- €30 can help provide transport for a patient to and from their chemotherapy treatment using the Irish Cancer Society’s Transport Service.
- €50 can help provide vital clinical equipment for an Irish Cancer Society Night Nurse.
- €55 will help pay for the cost of one hour of Night Nursing, providing end of life care to a patient in their own home.
- €60 will cover the cost of a counselling session to help a person cope with a cancer diagnosis in their life.
- €455 will help cover the cost of one night of Night Nursing, providing end of life care to a patient in their own home.
Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said: “One in two of us will hear the words ‘You’ve got cancer’ in our lifetimes.
“There isn’t a family in Ireland that hasn’t felt the impact of a cancer diagnosis. Right now, a child is hearing the words ‘It’s cancer’.
“A parent is holding on to hope for a treatment that hasn’t been discovered yet. And a researcher has an idea that could turn that hope into reality.
“Your support on Daffodil Day fuels life changing cancer research and vital free services and supports.
“We really need this year’s Daffodil Day to be the biggest yet to ensure we can be there for those who need us most in 2025. And we cannot do this without you.
“Your generosity on March 28th means patients and their families will have free supports like Counselling, Transport to treatment and Night Nursing services.
“Every year, communities across Laois show up and paint the town yellow in support of cancer patients and their families.
“We’re urging you to stand with cancer patients once again, by going all in against cancer and getting involved or donating this Daffodil Day 28 March.
“Your generous support means everyone affected by cancer in Laois will have access to the support they need, when they need it most.”
SEE ALSO – ACFL Division 1: Graiguecullen defeat Stradbally while St Joseph’s and Portlaoise draw
