'We made his last days as special as we could' – RTE weather presenter Nuala Carey on losing her dad to cancer

RTE weather presenter Nuala Carey has appealed to the public to raise funds for cancer after he dad Maurice died last year of pancreatic cancer.

Nuala, from Monkstown in Co Dublin, said her dad had been ill for 16 months before he died.

“When dad was first diagnosed we didn’t really know that the prognosis was so bad,” she explained.

“We were hopeful he could overcome it but sadly that wasn’t to be. As a family, we made his last days as special as we could and I am grateful for the time we had together.”

She added: “Now I want to fight back and raise vital funds to help stop other families losing loved ones to this awful disease.”

Pancreatic cancer currently has the lowest survival rate for all major cancers, with just one in ten people alive five years after diagnosis.

Nuala said: “We can, and must, change this. But it will require much more investment in cancer research and services. That’s why I am appealing to everyone to get involved and help make Daffodil Day 2019 bigger than ever.

“Your donations will also fund vital supports for patients and their families, so no-one has to go through cancer alone,” she added.

Nuala is attending the Irish Cancer Society’s launch of its 32nd Daffodil Day at an event in Dublin. The charity says it needs to raise €4million this Daffodil Day to meet ever-increasing demands for support.

Averil Power, Chief Executive of the Irish Cancer Society, said: “Sadly we know many more Dads like Maurice will hear the dreadful words – “you have cancer” this year. Every three minutes someone receives a cancer diagnosis. We are determined to be there for everyone who needs us. But with the number of people getting cancer at a record high, we can’t do that without public support.

“Last year our nurses, staff and volunteers reached thousands of patients affected by cancer, but we didn’t reach everyone in need. We don’t just want to provide an excellent service to some cancer patients. We want to provide it to all cancer patients. As 98% of our funding comes from the public, we simply can’t do that without more donations.

Daffodil Day 2019, supported by Boots Ireland, takes place on March 22nd. Members of the public are urged get involved by volunteering to help fundraise on www.cancer.ie and donating what they can on the day.

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