Call to support Lollipop Day
Raising awareness on oesophageal cancer
Lollipop Day is the Oesophageal Cancer Fund's flagship National Fundraising and Awareness event. Lollipop Day involves volunteers across the country getting involved to raise funds and promote the message of early detection and prevention of Oesophageal Cancer. Lollipop Day campaign will take place on Friday, February 28, and Saturday, March 1.
For the last 10 years, Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh, a Clinical Nurse Manager at Nenagh Hospital, has volunteered for the OCF and raised over €50k through Lollipop day and charity runs. “I’m delighted to support the work of the OCF and to help spread awareness through Lollipop Day about the symptoms of this terrible cancer and to encourage people to book an early GP appointment.
“Unfortunately, my family has experienced the devastation of this cancer, having lost my brother to it in 2015. He had been experiencing symptoms for quite some time and an earlier diagnosis could have made a big difference. What we do know for sure is that early detection saves lives and that’s why awareness building is so important.” To date Lollipop Day has raised over €2 million for Oesophageal Cancer research. Lollipop Day funding has meant that we can now catch this complex cancer at earlier, pre-cancerous stages, resulting in better patient outcomes and saving lives.
The Oesophageal Cancer Fund receives no government funding and is solely reliant on public fundraising to provide this three-pronged, desperately needed service. Public generosity to Oesophageal Cancer Fund fundraising efforts over the past two decades has helped enormously in the fight against Oesophageal Cancer. Survival rates now show a 50% improvement in Ireland, positioning us fourth internationally in terms of survivorship. However Irish Oesophageal Cancer rates remain among the highest in Europe, with over 500 new diagnoses of this aggressive cancer each year.
Louise Morgan Walsh adds: “It is a very scary cancer and volunteering at Lollipop Day gives me the opportunity to meet the public and promote this awareness campaign. We can beat this cancer through knowledge, action and care, and for those who are diagnosed with this cancer, they should know that they don’t walk this difficult pathway alone, and the OCF will be there by their side, through our patient support programme.”
FURTHER DETAILS
For more information on Lollipop Day, to volunteer, or to donate, please go to www.ocf.ie or contact Louise on 087 6154146.