Cancer survivor celebrates Father’s Day with fundraising run

A cancer survivor is running alongside her two boys and husband at Galway’s first ever ‘colour dash’ next Sunday to raise money for the Irish Cancer Society.

Lisa McCormack was just 34 when she found a pea-sized lump on the right-hand size of her neck in late 2013.

As she was feeling unwell and tired at the time, she decided to visit her GP who prescribed her strong antibiotics and ordered blood tests. They came back clear but within four days the lump had got bigger and other smaller lumps were appearing.

She returned to her doctor who referred her to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. They performed a needle biopsy which proved inconclusive. Just days later she underwent surgery, by which stage the lump had grown to the size of a golf ball. She was diagnosed with Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Lisa McCormack with her sons Nathan and Daragh

“I was very lucky it was a tumour. Non Hodgkins Lymphoma spreads very quickly to all the lymph nodes around the body but because mine was a tumour on the neck it was spotted very quickly,” reflects Lisa.

She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy shortly afterwards and unfortunately reacted very badly to the treatment.

“After the first round I ended up in hospital violently sick for four nights. I had every side-effect going. Then on St Stephen’s Day my hair started falling out in clumps. I couldn’t believe it happened so soon.”

Her husband Aaron shaved it off and she continued with the treatment until March last year. Every two to three months she undergoes a scan. In the first year she was susceptible to bad viruses but she turned a bit of a corner last January when she started back running with Craughwell Athletics Club last January.

“I have to keep an eye on myself. I have two small boys bringing home everything and anything from school so I have to be careful. When I got sick I wasn’t even able for a short walk. I decided to join the Fit for Life team, doing a few kilometres at a time. Now we’re up to 8k.”

Life has returned to a more normal existence after the massive upheaval that cancer brings.  She went back to work in the human resources department of NUIG in February, but decided to switch to part-time.

“As I said to my husband, life’s too short. It makes life easier. Everything’s great. I’ve finished all my meds and feel good.”

Lisa, husband Aaron and their sons, Nathan (11) and Darragh (6) will all take part in the fundraiser on Father’s Day in Dangan, Galway. Colour Dash is a five kilometre run that sees participants of all ages running, walking or jogging the course. At each kilometre, a different colour – representing a different cancer – of powder paint is thrown at participants, creating a kaleidoscope of colour.

‘Dashers’ start the route wearing a white t-shirt that is quickly transformed into a colourful work of art. 2015 marks the third year of Colour Dash and to date over 6,000 people have taken part and over 4 tonnes of paint has been thrown.

“Every household in Ireland is affected by cancer in some way. Cancer can be a dark and scary word to many people but Colour Dash provides a fun and cheerful way that people can fight back against cancer, together, said John McCormack chief executive officer of the Irish Cancer Society.

“Whether you are running because you have beaten cancer; or for your mum or someone you love; or because you want to fund research so that fewer people face cancer; or fund services so fewer people face cancer alone, taking part in Colour Dash will make a difference.”

The five kilometres of the Colour Dash are: 1km: Yellow – representing lung cancer, 2km: Green – representing bowel cancer, 3km: Purple – representing cancer survivorship, 4km: Blue – representing prostate cancer, 5km: Pink – representing breast cancer. All of the money raised from the Colour Dash will go to the Irish Cancer Society.

To register call 1850 60 60 60 or visit www.cancer.ie