Julie Helen: Taking part in TV show reminded me how lucky I am to have such a supportive family 

I could hear the crackle of cars on the driveway in my childhood bedroom. It was early morning, and the butterflies in my tummy had taken flight. The familiar sound meant that the TV production crew we were expecting had arrived in Woodside. I quickly made my way to the kitchen, where Mum was running around, preparing for a day that would be huge for her. She was about to tell the story of her experience of cancer for Ear to the Ground on RTÉ Television. I stopped her. I gave her a hug. I told her to breathe.

She had only received chemotherapy the day before, and steroids were keeping her going. I wanted to give her a minute of calm before launching into a really important, yet emotional task. My mother only gave me seconds, not wanting a wall of tears to overcome her. Luckily, my Dad was in the next doorway she needed to walk through, and he too enveloped his partner, of very close to fifty years, in a hug as only he can. I was so grateful for him in that moment. He did and said the perfect things as he generally does, and they were off to the farmyard to get the job done.

Ear to the Ground is a farming and rural institution, and they have been coming to our farm since 1993, when I was a young child. We have grown up with farming advocacy, with both my parents heavily involved in telling important stories to make things better for Irish farmers. Then disability became the subject. My sister-in-law, Aileen, became the young farmer of the year in 2025, and they were back again and were struck by Mum and how she has such a story of resilience to tell in the way she faces her serious cancer diagnosis.

Many people would shy away from cameras. Mum tells her story in the Irish Farmer’s Journal each week, and the biggest lesson for me in the response is that cancer touches every family in the country. When our loved ones are going through diagnosis and treatment, it can feel like it is only happening to them and can feel lonely and isolating, but that’s not the reality. So many people are fighting diligently, but it can be really hard to share how it feels to have cancer. Mum is wonderful at sharing her thoughts. She has a considered perspective on life and she wants to help others at every turn. She has an incredible way of telling a story. Both Mum and Dad have been through their fair share of adversity, having two disabled children early in life. They banded together. I always knew that, but seeing it as they face the most recent challenges shows me what it means for them to be partners.

I can see they have a shared idea about being open, honest, and real, so other people facing similar things can understand they are not alone. Throughout the day of filming, our house was full of noise and Granny’s four grandchildren were stars of the show. They are my Mum’s driving force to keep going, and it was lovely to see them with her. Ricky is super excited about being on television.

I was very proud to sit next to my three brothers and do an interview with them. We don’t dwell on cancer or talk about it too much, but it was reassuring to hear their perspectives, and it reminded me how lucky I am to have such a close and supportive family. You can watch us on RTÉ 1 at 7pm tomorrow (Thursday, February 12).