Mother-of-4 diagnosed with breast cancer now plans to walk 200K in October - ‘15 months down the road I finally feel strong enough to do something to try and give a little back’ - ‘it was without doubt the hardest time for us as a family’

In a GoFundMe post - created one day ago - Emma Carragher, from Warrenpoint in Co Down, says that she is “setting myself the challenge of walking 200km in October (Breast Cancer Awareness month) to raise money in aid of The Cancer Fund for Children”.

“Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause, that means so much to me. Every contribution will help,” she adds.

Explaining her cancer story, Emma says: “On 3rd June 2019 I was diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes.

“At the age of 37, with 4 small children at home the diagnosis hit my husband Ronan and I very hard.

“How we we ever going to tell our children I was sick??

“They were so young and whilst my youngest, Daithi was only a few weeks off his 2nd birthday and therefore oblivious to what was going on, Ryan aged 8, Aidan aged 7 and Grace aged 4 were old enough to understand that something was happening at home.

“I knew we had to be open and honest with them. They knew I wasn’t going to work and their daddy and I didn’t seem our happy selves.

“Thankfully my breast care nurse in the Glenanne Unit in Craigavon helped us so much with telling the kids in a child friendly way, at their level”.

The post adds that the wait to “hear if the cancer had spread further was just agonising”.

“But after many tests including bone scans and CT scans, I was finally told that the cancer had not spread any further than my nodes.

“Even though you know that you have a huge fight on your hands, that welcome good news definitely spurs you on.

“Very quickly my oncologist then shared my treatment plan with us.

“It consisted of chemotherapy, surgery, radio therapy and a full year of dual anti body treatment.

“On the 2nd July 2019 my treatment began, with 6 rounds of chemotherapy.

“Chemo brought with it lots of sickness, fatigue and emotional trauma.

“Losing my hair was particularly hard. It was without doubt the hardest time for us as a family.

“To be honest, looking back now, it was incredibly tough but we were so blessed to have a wonderful support network around us to help us through.

“Without family, friends the wonderful staff in the Mandeville Unit in Craigavon and the Cancer Fund for Children I don’t think we would of got through it”.

She adds that now “15 months down the road, I finally feel strong enough to do something to try and give a little back”.

“Every week in Northern Ireland, three children, teenagers or young adults are diagnosed with cancer or are living with a parent diagnosed with the disease,” she said.

“Cancer Fund for Children ensure that families receive the support they need both during and after treatment so that no family has to face cancer alone.

“Daisy lodge in Newcastle has given Ronan our kids and I space away from the stresses of day to day life.

“It allowed the kids to make new friends, chat and work through their emotions in wonderful workshops run at the lodge.

“Basically it gave us precious family time together.

“This charity is hugely reliant on fundraising efforts in order to stay operational.

“Now with the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions that it imposes, fundraising is much more difficult.

“So please give whatever you can so families in the future, facing a cancer diagnosis will get the much needed support from this wonderful charity”.

See Emma’s fundraiser hereAlready more than £7,000 has been raised of a £2,500 target.

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