Niamh O Donoghue, Breast Cancer Ireland Very Pink Run Ambassador. Photo: Marc O’Sullivan

‘Cancer doesn't discriminate’

A young breast cancer survivor from Cork who battled her illness during the Covid pandemic is promoting the importance of getting checked regardless of one’s age.

Niamh O Donoghue from Togher was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2021 when she was 21 years old after finding a lump in her breast. She was working as a teacher in Abu Dhabi at the time.

This year, Niamh is an Ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland’s annual Very Pink Run which takes place on 8 September at MTU.

The run is the charity’s largest annual fundraising event, with parallel events taking place across the country from 31 August.

“While it's obviously uncommon to get breast cancer that young, it's not completely uncommon,” Niamh told the Cork Independent.

“Cancer isn't always an old person who looks very ill. Cancer has lots of different faces. I've met quite a few girls my age who are going through the same thing. Cancer doesn't discriminate - young people can get cancer, sick people can get cancer, healthy people can get cancer, so I think that's why it feels important to me to be an ambassador,” she added.

Having been diagnosed during the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the hardest parts of Niamh’s recovery was the fear of infection and the isolation caused by the lockdown.

After her diagnosis, she returned to Ireland where she underwent at lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy.

“When I look back now, in some ways it nearly feels like a blur,” she said.

“One of the hardest parts was going through it during Covid because, obviously the breast cancer was very difficult in itself, but Covid was still quite bad in Ireland at the time, so I couldn't have my family around me or my friends around me all the time because I was so immunocompromised,” added Niamh.

During her battle with breast cancer, Niamh had to get tested for Covid every week. If she tested positive, she risked her treatment being delayed for months.

“That added such a layer of stress,” she said.

“Nobody could visit during surgery, nobody could sit with me during chemo. It made the whole experience even more isolating,” added Niamh.

While recovering from surgery before chemotherapy, Niamh successfully underwent fertility treatment and froze eggs as chemotherapy can affect future fertility.

Today, Niamh is clear of cancer and said her ordeal has really made her appreciate the small things in life.

“Be grateful for all the small things. I know it's such a cliché, but your health is your wealth,” she said.

A large group of very well-known faces from the worlds of sports, media, the arts and showbiz have already joined this year’s Very Pink Run, including author Cathy Kelly, who is herself recovering from breast cancer.

RTÉ’s Meghann Scully and James Butler, FM104’s Thomas Crosse and Zeinab Elguzouli, and Virgin Media’s Elaine Crowley, and Kamal Ibrahim, alongside sports stars Josh van der Flier, Robbie Henshaw, Shane Byrne, Jamie Finn and Hannah Tyrell are also signed up.

The 10km Cork Very Pink Fun Run gets underway at 12pm at MTU on 8 September. The 5km race begins at 12.30pm.

Niamh O Donoghue and Lauren Barrett, both Very Pink Run Ambassadors. Photo: Marc O’Sullivan