Putting a face on cancer
A Cork cancer charity has teamed up with others around the country to raise funds for cancer research and to humanise the experience for those diagnosed.
Breakthrough Cancer Research, based in Cork city, has joined forces with Breast Cancer Ireland and the Marie Keating Foundation to launch Face Up To Cancer.
The digital fundraising campaign aims to engage with thousands of people, encouraging them to upload their selfies and make a donation at faceuptocancer.ie.
Each image will form part of a facial mosaic which will be used to create a series of eight portraits showing the faces of some of those that have been affected by cancer, as well as some of the experts working tirelessly to change the future of cancer care and treatments.
The final mosaics will be revealed across digital platforms once the campaign comes to a close at the end of February.
The monies raised will be channelled into three critical areas: breast metastatic disease progression research; research for hard-to-treat cancers; and cancer awareness and support services.
In Ireland, almost 42,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed each year, which means that sadly one person is diagnosed with cancer every 15 minutes. On average, Ireland loses 9,874 people each year to cancer – an average of one person every hour.
Orla Dolan, CEO of Breakthrough Cancer Research, said: “There are new discoveries and new ideas being developed every day to detect and treat cancer and save thousands of lives in Ireland that are simply awaiting funding.
“We’re asking the people of Ireland to be part of the future, to get involved in the Face Up to Cancer campaign, so we can ultimately help bring those future treatments to fruition.”
Presenter Miriam O’Callaghan is an ambassador for the campaign, having lost a sister aged just 33 to the disease, as are presenters Bobby Kerr of Newstalk and RTÉ’s Evelyn O’Rourke, both of whom are survivors of cancer.
Conor Ferguson, husband of journalist and RTÉ presenter Keelin Shanley, who passed away from cancer in 2020, and Cork man Stephen Teap, who lost his wife Irene to cervical cancer in 2017, are also supporting the initiative.