Upcoming Daffodil Day 'most important one yet' says Irish Cancer Society
TV presenter Anna Daly was joined by pharmacist and influencer Jess Redden today for the launch of the Irish Cancer Society's big annual fundraiser, Daffodil Day, which this year takes place on Friday, March 24.
The Irish Cancer Society want Daffodil Day to be a reminder of the urgency to catch up on the detection of thousands of cancers remaining undiagnosed since the start of the pandemic.
Anna and Jess have both felt the harsh reality of cancer in their lives. Jess recently lost her father, Brian, to cancer, while Anna's father, Noel, is currently going through treatment.
The pair and are encouraging everyone to "take part and take back", show their support for cancer patients and their families, and get involved this March.
The fundraiser comes as an estimated 2,600 cancer diagnoses were missed in 2020 alone due to the Covid pandemic, and catch up remains difficult due to demands on the health service.
The Irish Cancer Society will use Daffodil Day to fund its vital free services such as drives to and from cancer treatment, the Freephone Support Line and Daffodil Centres staffed by experienced cancer nurses, the Night Nursing service providing end of life care and counselling for anyone affected by cancer.
Donations from the public will also provide funding for state-of-the-art cancer research and life-saving cancer trials.
The Irish Cancer Society says that this will be their biggest Daffodil Day yet and the charity is hoping to raise €4 million in funding to support their services and research.
Averil Power, Chief Executive, Irish Cancer Society said, "Our key message this Daffodil Day is that cancer needs more focus than ever before. There is now a race against time to find missed cancers so patients can begin treatment as soon as possible.
"We know that in 2020 alone, over 2,600 cancers went undetected due to Covid. We need every service in the Irish Cancer Society to be ready for the fact that there will be greater numbers of cancers detected at an advanced stage and others that are beyond curative treatment.
"The free counselling we provide, alongside our nurses who offer endless support and advice to families, and sadly, our Night Nursing service, will all be under increased pressure over the next year because of the impact of the pandemic on cancer services.
"We need the help of the public to ensure these services can withstand the increased demand on them."
As well as donating at www.cancer.ie or volunteering to help fundraise this Daffodil Day, people can purchase items from the Daffodil Day online shop and take part in a Steps Challenge.
For more information about Daffodil Day visit www.Cancer.ie/DaffodilDay .