A man who is in remission from blood cancer has said supporting the Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day appeal is vitally important for patients and survivors.
The charity is today asking people to donate to its annual fundraising event.
It is aiming to raise €6 million to support its vital free services, which it says have come under added strain because of the cost-of-living crisis.
Newstalk Breakfast presenters Ciara Kelly and Shane Coleman with Jed Van De Poll (centre), 22-3-24. Image: NewstalkMetro Dublin CEO Jed Van De Poll was given his cancer diagnosis two years ago today.
He told Newstalk Breakfast he was brought into hospital with a bad stomach pain.
"They did a scan and when I looked at the scan, they made the mistake of showing it to me, I saw a large hole in my right hip," he said.
"I thought, 'I recognise that' - it's an incurable bone cancer my mother died of some 45 years ago.
"They then brought me in to give me the bad news but I already knew the bad news".
Mr Van De Poll said telling his family was tough.
"Telling my wife was difficult," he said.
"I had to do it over the phone because I was being treated for the stomach infection that I had.
"It's difficult to do that over the phone, that was tough".
Drug trial
Mr Van De Poll said his prognosis was looking good.
"What I was immediately offered was a new drug, a trial drug, called Isatuximab," he said.
"This is a possible cure for what is currently incurable and I was given a very good prognosis.
"I'm patient 001 on this trial and there are 38 of us on this trial".
Mr Van De Poll said he was cancer-free after six months on the drug. His bone lesions have also halved in size through other treatments.
Living with cancer
Mr Van De Poll said cancer research is vital.
"Just 10 years ago there were 140,000 people in Ireland living with cancer, there are now 220,000," he said.
"It might sound bad but it's actually due to cancer research.
"The Irish Cancer Society spends €3.7m a year on cancer research and that's what a lot of the money that we're trying to raise today is going towards.
"That goes into cancer research and also early detection".
'Amazing system'
Mr Van De Poll said he believes options and treatments in Ireland are much better than those in the UK.
"Our health service gets compared with the NHS and I think it's far superior....getting access to GP care, getting access to cancer care," he said.
"It's through agencies like the Irish Cancer Society and Cancer Trials Ireland that we have this amazing system here," he added.
Mr Van De Poll said there are several ways to donate including through Revolut.
More information can be found here
