The mother of a child, who has undergone treatment for a rare form of cancer, has said their 'home was shattered' by the diagnosis.
Last October Rachel McGovern, who was aged five at the time, was taken by her mother for a routine eye check-up.
The test revealed Rachel had cancer in one eye.
Rachel's mother, Geraldine, told The Pat Kenny Show her daughter had no signs.
"It was only when the drops were dilated into her pupil that they discovered the retinoblastoma," she said.
"Retinoblastoma is very rare cancer, and Rachel had no signs of it.
"Normally they have a white reflection on their pupil or they can have a squint - Rachel didn't have any of those problems".
'Like being hit by a bus'
Geraldine said she felt like their home was shattered.
"When the doctor came in and she had a look at Rachel's eye, she just turned to me and she said, 'Is anybody with you?'
"I just remember saying to her, 'Just tell me' - so she told me that they had found something.
"I knew straight away from that moment that it was cancer".
She went home to tell her husband and Rachel's brother and sister.
"It just felt like our home had been shattered, it wasn't the house that I had left only a couple of short hours beforehand.
"It was just like being hit by a bus because there had been no build up, there was no GP visits, there was no biopsy, scans, tests.
"It was just basically, 'Bang, your daughter has cancer'".
'A really good response'
The next day they went to Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin for scans.
Following this they were told that Rachel's cancer was treatable.
However they would have to go a specialist unit at Birmingham Women and Children's Hospital in the UK for her treatment.
Rachel began her chemotherapy on Monday October 31st, which was followed by more chemotherapy and laser treatment.
Rachel in an Aer Lingus cockpit on one of her trips for treatment to Birmingham in England. Picture by: Facebook/Geraldine McgovernGeraldine has been making all the trips with Rachel, while her husband stays here with their other children.
"All of her chemotherapy treatment is finished," she said.
"She had a really good response to that IAC chemo, and then she had injections at Christmas which were spaced a week apart.
"We were travelling once a week around Christmas - she had a really good response.
"She was the talk of the hospital in Birmingham for all the right reasons.
"Her tumour shrank up over 80% after just one IAC; so they only had to do two chemotherapies, and they cancelled her third one because she had such a good response.
"Her tumour is now gone, but she's having ongoing laser therapy - a treatment that they use once the tumour is gone".
'Until it comes knocking on our door'
Geraldine said The Gavin Glynn Foundation has been an invaluable support.
"They stepped in and helped with the flights and the booking and the organisation of going.
"I decided then, a couple of weeks into Rachel's treatment, that I wanted to give something back to the foundation.
"We don't know about any of these services until it comes knocking on our door".
Rachel on one of her trips for treatment to Birmingham in England. Picture by: Facebook/Geraldine McgovernShe set up a donation page for The Gavin Glynn Foundation, and Geraldine said she never expected what happened next.
"Our whole community - family, friends work colleagues - everybody came behind us with the fundraiser.
"They took on their own fundraisers, we had charity football matches, swims, we had auctions, Rachel's school did non-uniform day.
"Everybody came up with ideas... today we have raised €85,000 for The Gavin Glynn Foundation", she added.
Listen back to the full interview below:
Friday March 24th marks Daffodil Day from the Irish Cancer Society. People can also donate through Revolut
