Leitrim cancer survivor calls for support on Daffodil Day

In early 2023, Letita McFarlane was told she had cancer, which she says completely turned her life upside down.

The 27-year-old mother of two from Kinlough was on a family holiday in Spain the previous November when her face began to swell up. It was initially attributed to an allergic reaction from lip fillers, but after persistent medical questioning, doctors detected the cancer, and she was diagnosed with Primary Mediastinal Large B-cell lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. 

“My life was turned upside down by my cancer diagnosis, but so was everybody else’s around me. They all had to jump in and help with the children and support me through my treatment. It’s been a whole family effort to get through this, and I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done.”

She began a rigorous treatment journey, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and eventually Car-T cell therapy at St. James’s Hospital in Dublin and in May 2024, she received the life-changing news that she was in remission.

Now, Letita is calling on the people of north Leitrim to support the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day, which takes place on Friday the 28 of March and encouraging young people to be more proactive about their health.

“Cancer was just so far off the radar of what I thought could be wrong with me,” she explained. “I think young people need to be more empowered and aware to ask questions and push for tests if we don’t feel right. My face was severely swollen, and as soon as my doctors heard about the lip fillers, they attributed it to that. Thankfully, I kept pushing and asking more questions.”

She is urging the people of Leitrim and the wider northwest to participate in Daffodil Day. “Every euro raised on Daffodil Day is crucial and makes a real, lasting difference to patients like me, fuelling life-changing cancer research and vital support services,” Letitia said. 

The Irish Cancer Society provides essential services to those impacted by cancer, including free transport for patients to their treatments, free counselling, and end-of-life care. 

In 2024, generous donations enabled the Irish Cancer Society to provide over 100 free lifts for Leitrim-based cancer patients, 290 counselling sessions, and 70 nights of free Night Nursing care, allowing patients to die at home surrounded by loved ones.

“One in two of us will hear the words ‘You’ve got cancer’ in our lifetimes,” said Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society. “There isn’t a family in Ireland that hasn’t felt the impact of a cancer diagnosis. Right now, a child is hearing the words ‘It’s cancer’. A parent is holding on to hope for a treatment that hasn’t been discovered yet. Your support on Daffodil Day fuels life-changing cancer research and vital free services.”

Ms Power also highlighted how every contribution helps with €30 providing transport for a patient to their chemotherapy treatment, while €50 can provide vital equipment for an Irish Cancer Society Night Nurse. €60 will fund a counselling session, and €455 can cover the cost of one night of Night Nursing, providing end-of-life care to a patient in their home.

For more information about Daffodil Day and how to contribute, visit https://www.cancer.ie/daffodilday.

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