There are over 40,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year. St. James’s Hospital is the largest cancer centre in the country with over 4,000 new cases each year.

Behind each of these numbers is a patient living with cancer.

We are asking for your help as we fundraise to support these patients and the work of our staff at St James’s Hospital. Your donations are vital and help us to purchase equipment, create and furnish family rooms, support research and provide comfort & care to our patients.

Will you make a donation today?

Thank you to all our grateful patients, their families and friends who have supported our Cancer Appeal.

If you would like to fundraise to raise vital funds for this appeal, contact jamie@supportstjames.ie / call 083 477 7370

“It’s over 7 years since I found out I had breast cancer. I had been attending another Breast Health Clinic because of cysts in both my breasts. After my mother died, I thought I felt a ‘new lump’ and I went to my GP, who recommended I have it checked out… they would make the arrangements.  Carol from St James’s Hospital Breast Care phoned me the following Thursday, to ask me to attend the Tuesday clinic…  I’m convinced, this was my mother’s hand minding me.

The following Tuesday, I met Carol and Mr Alazawi – that day I had a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy. I would get the results in a week, but a week later I was asked back and told I needed a breast MRI. This took a couple of weeks to arrange, but the MRI was the conclusive test. The day Carol and Mr Alazawi told me, although in shock, I remember Carol welcoming me to the Breast Care Family… the warmth of those words meant the world to me. I had a mastectomy to my left breast a couple of weeks later. Chemotherapy started in May and ended mid-September, and that was followed by 6 weeks of radiation.

It was while I was undergoing the daily radiation treatment, that my youngest sibling Edel (pictured with me here on the right) decided to run a fundraising ‘Thank You Breast Care’ coffee morning for looking after her big sister SO very well. I come from a family of seven children, I’m number 2 and have three wonderful sisters and brothers. Edel is the youngest of us all… she’s the kind of person who when she decides to do something, it simply gets done. That first October coffee morning she baked and baked AND baked. It was also her idea that we use my mother’s beautiful china cups, saucers and side plates. The event was held in our family pharmacy and ALL of my family and extended family rowed in to support. My daughter in law Edwina also contributed to the fabulous home baked tasty treats and my sister Fiona (our number 1) is an established artist and every single year has donated a painting for the raffle.

That first year we raised 4 thousand euro. When I asked Carol where the money could be best used, she immediately said towards the refurbishment if the prosthesis fitting room. For 5 years, we have held our coffee morning and have raised over €20,000 for SJH. This year because of Covid -19 and personal/ social distancing, sadly it is not possible, but St James’s Hospital still needs our help. So many families are dealing with cancer diagnosis, the search for cures and ground breaking treatment continues and needs our help.

I owe my life to so many people in St James’s who, over the years since then, continue to look after me. I am forever thankful for their caring devotion, professionalism and now friendship.”

-Máire Marron Morrissey

Hi, my name is Catherine and this is my niece Kelly with me in the photograph. We are both breast cancer survivors and were both diagnosed within months of each other. I was 55 and Kelly was 33. We both attended St James’s Hospital and this is a little insight into our journey of the care we received from St James’s.

I was diagnosed in November 2015 and Kelly in February 2016. Our journey was both the same… We had five months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation, double Mastectomies with axillary clearance (and at this time Kelly had a six-month-old child and two other children) -This is where the support comes in through the hospital.

To hear the words “you have cancer” is the most terrifying thing to hear, but thank god for the unbelievable support that St James’s gave us and our families. It’s like they took us by the hands and held us through this journey step by step. Your donations help the hospital to give all the care and support that they do for their cancer patients, so that’s why it’s so important to donate.

So please if you can help in anyway big or small.

Cancer can make you feel so alone, and what St James’s Hospital does through this journey, they become your family too, that’s why donations are so important because with your help they can purchase equipment, create and furnish family rooms, support research and provide comfort & care to patients.

A big thank you to all who donate.

A special thank you to the Breast Care Team, Prof John Kennedy, Breast Surgeon Liz Connelly, Plastic Surgeon Dr Healy, Radiation team and all the fantastic nurses and staff at St James’s Hospital. Without you all we would not be here today. From the bottom of our hearts we cannot thank you enough.

Love Catherine and Kelly