The value of your £€'s

Friday saw Ireland's annual Daffodil Day, which is the Irish Cancer Society's main national fundraising day throughout the year.  Over the next few months Relay for Life will be held in a number of Irish counties, and again, the ask will be there - please dig deep and give a few bob (or more!). I recently had a conversation with a friend, who had had a dear friend die of advanced cancer.  Understandably she was very upset at the loss of her friend, but also very angry that her friend hadn't been one of the lucky ones, and what was the point in donating millions to cancer research when as far as she could see it wasn't making the slightest bit of difference. Does that sound familiar? I'm sure it will to many.  I think it it is totally understandable, I'd be fairly pissed off too losing a friend at such a young age, it is a tragedy! But, I have to say that in the 17 years I've been working in cancer care that I have seen exactly how our money and consequently research is making a difference.  When I started working at the Christie nearly every other patient had a horror story to tell.....how they'd had a delayed diagnosis resulting in their disease being beyond curative, or that they'd had all the treatment they could and now, well, now it was very much in the hands of the Gods (if that's what you believe).  I'm not working in an acute hospital ward anymore, but I see clients daily who have had a cancer diagnosis, who have had their treatment and are now CANCER FREE! People who are living beyond cancer, and have every reasonable expectation that they will continue to be cancer free! And even those who may have some residual disease, or 'hotspots' that need a close eye keeping on them, medically their management is very much a long term arrangement, with continued reassuring surveillance and a confidence that 'we'll deal with whatever happens' is very much the case.  Recently a very dear friend of mine had what was believed to be a recurrence of her cancer - I worried for her and felt sick all the time she was waiting on results.  She on the other hand was very calm, her medical team giving her the confidence to know that if it was back, then they have the ways and means to combat it again.  Years ago I fear that her options would have been very restricted! And that is all down to research, and every pound or euro that goes into a collection pot is in some way helping to ensure that more people will live beyond cancer, so please support Daffodil Day, support Relay for Life, YOU will be helping to save lives! #wewontgiveupuntilcancerdoes