Deirdre’s Way

There is likely not a family in Ireland that has not been impacted by cancer. Every year there are approximately 45,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in Ireland alone. Like so many others, my family has our own cancer story. My beloved wife Deirdre was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2016. True to form, she immediately latched onto hope. She would say (with her characteristically cheeky grin) that her oncologist would ‘always have something in the bottom drawer’ for her; he’d offer a trial that would give her more time. Sadly, for Deirdre, there was nothing in that drawer for her. On the 11th of January 2018, at 6.20am, she passed away.So, with your help and support, I plan to raise €50,000 for Cancer Trials Ireland. Cancer Trials Ireland aims to provide access to high-quality and potentially life altering cancer trials for every patient with cancer. Their work offers hope and light to countless patients and their loved ones.My mission is to walk over 600 kilometres, to ‘put something in the bottom drawer’ for Ireland’s cancer patients. I will begin in Ireland’s most northerly point and end at its most southerly - from Malin to Mizen head. I call it Deirdre’s Way. My message is simple: let’s ensure there is something in the bottom drawer for a patient with cancer. Deirdre’s hope and optimism were never in vain. Though there was no trial for her, thanks to Cancer Trials Ireland, there will be for someone else.