I found solace, consolation and support at Cork Cancer Care Centre 

MEETING confident, Caoimhe O’Neil Forde, you could never imagine that the 37-year-old was diagnosed with cervical cancer at just 25.

Caoimhe, a member of the 221+ Cervical Check Patient Support Group and cervical cancer survivor, was guest speaker at The Vicky Phelan Campaign & Portrait Tour in aid of Cork Cancer Care Centre. The event, held last Friday, was sponsored by The Montenotte Hotel and held at the venue in association with The Gallery, Kinsale. Painted by Irish artist Vincent Devine, the vision for the portrait is to continue Vicky’s legacy, educate people about cervical cancer and raise funds for charity.

Aged 25, Caoimhe, from Ennis, was a typical twenty-something young woman. Working as an engineer in Boston Scientific, Cork, with good friends, a great social life and full of the joys of life, with a bright future ahead of her, Caoimhe never saw what was coming down the tracks.

“All was good,” says Caoimhe, who has three brothers, a niece and a nephew.

“I was well, and I was happy.”

Caoimhe did her degree in UL and she underwent a routine smear test on campus.

“It was fine,” says Caoimhe.

“Then I got the standard letter you get when you’re 25, from my GP for another smear test.

When I was called back eight months later for another smear test, I wasn’t unduly worried.

Caoimhe got a call at work.

“I had to attend oncology in St. Finbarre’s Hospital,” says Caoimhe.

“I didn’t worry too much about cancer, because I was so young. I was wrong. I was told I had a tumour that was too large to remove, so I underwent a LLETZ procedure.”

LLETZ is a treatment for abnormal cervical cells that have been picked up through cervical screening.

“I underwent a trachelectomy in CUH. I was shown drawings of what parts of my body were going to be removed. That was scary, and yes, I was frightened,” says Caoimhe.

My cervix, the bottom of my uterus and the top of my vagina were removed. 

The procedure is only done in Cork and Dublin. Some women are lucky to succeed in having children afterwards.”

What is it like hearing you have cancer when you think your whole life is before you?

“Dr Matt Hewitt was the man who gave me the results,” says Caoimhe.

“When he said ‘cancer’, I was in shock for two weeks.

“I was in total shock for a year afterwards. It was horrendous.

“You think of the huge impact. You worry about ever having a family - or what that family would look like. It is a very lonely place to be, and the fear of the unknown is terrible. You spend days feeling terrified. Everything looks different. You wonder what is normal. You question everything.”

There is a grief process after a cancer diagnosis.

“You think about your life and your future,” says Caoimhe.

“I sought out a counsellor in Cork and I sought out the Girls Club, founded by Ann Dowley Spillane, which is now the Cork Cancer Care Centre. 

I found solace, consolation and support there from other cancer sufferers and from the wonderful volunteers.

“The Cork Cancer Care Centre is a beacon of hope.”

Caoimhe, after her traumatic experience, decided to try and get on with her life.

“I was two very different people before the cancer and after the cancer,” says Caoimhe.

“I went back to work, and I moved to Galway.”

She made another move.

“When I was 30, I underwent IVF treatment to try and get pregnant,” says Caoimhe.

“It was a dream I had. But after all the surgeries and so much damage from cancer and the treatments, I didn’t know how successful I would be.”

Caoimhe finally got pregnant.

“I was so thrilled,” she says.

“During my second trimester, my waters broke at home,” says Caoimhe.

“The baby was alive but because I risked sepsis the hospital made the decision that there was a need to terminate the pregnancy. I could have been in the same situation as Savita Halappanavar.

"I didn’t get sepsis in the end. I lost my little boy. I grieved him."

Caoimhe shows me a tiny heart tattooed on her arm.

“The hospital gave me a copy of Daíre’s heart,” says Caoimhe.

“Daíre was fine. I had no cervix and I couldn’t hold the weight. He came too soon.”

Caoimhe hasn’t given up hope of becoming a mother.

I’m pretty determined, but there are no answers. We’ll see what happens. 

Sometimes I look at mothers with their buggies. I look at my niece and nephew and I would give anything to bring them home to my house.”

Caoimhe still thinks the future can be bright.

She followed in Vicky Phelan’s brave footsteps in taking action against an incorrect smear test.

“I took a case against the HSE which concluded in February this year,” says Caoimhe.

“They fought me every step of the way.”

Caoimhe is on the Vicky Phelan Campaign and Portrait Tour every step of the way.

“It’s all about raising awareness about cervical cancer,” says Caoimhe.

Vicky had a big effect on Caoimhe.

When I met her, you can sense her power. It is amazing. She was friendly and she was funny.

“I met her parents too; you can see where she got her strength from.

“She gave me inspiration and told me never to take ‘no’ as an answer. She said, ‘follow your gut’.”

Caoimhe is often in Cork.

“I see my oncologist every six months,” says Caoimhe.

“I still have side effects from the cancer. I’ll be seeing him for a very long time. I tell him I’m his favourite patient!”

After her cancer journey and all that went with it Caoimhe is on the up and up again.

She works for Medtronic in Galway and is loving life.

Keeping Vicky’s legacy alive is important for all women.

Caoimhe is a brave warrior just like Vicky Phelan was. She’s in good company.

“My mother comes everywhere with me!”

ABOUT CORK CANCER CARE CENTRE

Located on St. Paul’s Avenue is a beautiful, exposed brick building with a purple door. Behind that door is a sanctuary and safe space for cancer warriors. For some, they area at the beginning of their journey. For others the healing began years later. The Cork Cancer Care Centre takes a holistic approach to the trauma of cancer for both the individual and their families, by nurturing their emotional and mental wellbeing. CCCC provides counselling sessions, peer support groups, holistic treatments, wig fittings, nutrition and wellbeing advice, and so much more, free of charge.

Cork Cancer Care Centre can be contacted on 021-4949090

See www.corkcancercarecentre.ie for more about the services

You can also email:corkcancercarecentre@gmail.com

ABOUT THE 221+ PATIENT SUPPORT GROUP

The group was established in July 2018 to provide information, advice, and support to women and families directly affected by failures in the CervicalCheck Screening Programme that came to light following Vicky Phelan’s court case in 2018. 221+ Patient Support Group provides information, advice and support in a structured and confidential manner. See https://221plus.ie/