Amazing Laois cancer survivor makes heartfelt appeal

A FORMER nurse from Laois who survived cancer is urging people to support Daffodil Day, in aid of the Irish Cancer Society (ICS).

Caroline Overton from Emo was an emergency department nurse at Portlaoise Hospital in September 2021, when she first experienced worrying symptoms.

At first, the mother-of-three thought her stressful job was causing the symptoms that included hiccups and acid reflux.

However, when she went to her GP the following month, she was referred to hospital for an endoscopy which was carried out that November. To her shock, it revealed that she had a large tumour in her oesophagus.

The 62-year-old recalls: “My husband, David, was brought in after I had the endoscopy and we were given the news. We were told they found an eight-centimetre tumour in my oesophagus.

“We just couldn’t believe it. Cancer was so far off our Richter scale of things that we thought could’ve caused the symptoms I had. They found out that the tumour was going along my oesophagus. It was linear, so it wasn’t blocking the food that I ate. It was only slowing it down.” 

Shortly after she was diagnosed, Caroline went to the Cuisle Cancer Support Centre in Portlaoise for counselling funded by the ICS, which she found hugely beneficial.

She says: “I knew I needed help and a sense of direction, when I was going through everything. I needed tools to cope and counselling gave me those tools.

“We did things in the counselling sessions like visualising going for a PET scan, because I was so worried about it, but doing that made it a lot easier when I actually did it.” 

Caroline had chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour and is delighted to be doing well, having medically retired in 2023.

A picture of health and beauty, it is difficult to believe she endured such a huge challenge and emerged stronger than ever.

“I’ve changed a lot since I was diagnosed,” she says. “I’m more active now. I’ve lost four stone since I was diagnosed and I exercise five or six times a week. I’m not the same person I was in 2021. Everything is different now, but in a really good way.” 

Encouraging people to “please get out there” and support Daffodil Day on 20 March, Caroline stresses that every single euro raised is crucial and makes a real lasting difference, fuelling life-changing cancer research and vital support services. It also gives people a chance to show their support for those affected by cancer in their own local community.

According to the ICS, funds raised last year helped provide services in Laois that included over 470 free lifts to their treatment for cancer patients, over 360 free counselling sessions and more than 250 nights of free nursing care, which allowed local cancer patients to die at home, surrounded by loved ones.

Cancer nurses also had 180 conversations with people living in Laois, through the ICS Support Line and at its Daffodil Centres.

ICS acting chief executive Edel Shovlin said in a statement: ‘This year, thousands of people in Ireland will hear the words, ‘You have cancer.’ Behind every diagnosis is a person, a family, a future suddenly filled with uncertainty. But this Daffodil Day, there is also determination, compassion and groundbreaking research driving real progress.

‘The funds raised don’t just support vital, life-changing cancer research. They provide immediate, practical help for people facing cancer right now.’