Daffodil Day launch hears one person dies from cancer every hour

One person dies from cancer every hour in Ireland and 40,000 will be diagnosed with cancer or a related tumour this year, the launch of the annual Daffodil Day fundraiser has heard.

The Irish Cancer Society event will take place this year on March 23rd.

Hundreds of volunteers were joined by Minister for Health Simon Harris and RTÉ presenters Miriam O'Callaghan and Aengus Mac Grianna at the launch at Citywest in Dublin.

O’Callaghan said she had, like so many Irish people, lost loved ones to cancer.

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“I lost my precious sister Anne who was just 33 when she died. On March 23rd, you can help fund life-saving research and crucial services to ensure cancer patients and their families are properly supported,” she said.

“Tragically a person dies from cancer every hour in Ireland, but for so many people there’s also great hope. More people are surviving cancer now than ever before thanks to life-saving research. Daffodil Day, proudly supported by Boots Ireland, is a day where we can all help fight back against cancer.”

There are 165,000 people living with cancer in Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society said 40,000 more would be diagnosed with cancer or a related tumour this year.

Chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society Averil Power said that as the number of Irish people with cancer increased, record numbers were turning to the charity for information, care and support.

“Only two per cent of our funding comes from the State. We are therefore hugely dependent on the generosity of the public to fund vital services such as our night nurses, volunteer drivers and freephone cancer nurseline.”

Ms Power said support for the annual fundraising event ensured cancer patients were supported when they needed it most and that life-saving research was also funded.

“Last year, the number of people using our volunteer driver service to travel to chemotherapy appointments increased by 15 per cent.

“Our night nursing service provided over 7,000 nights of care to terminally-ill patients in their own homes.”

Nurses also supported 40,000 people through the nurse line and at drop-in “daffodil centres”.

Boots Ireland is the main sponsor of Daffodil Day 2018.