Kildare cancer survivor rallies others to Relay for Life event

Seventeen  years after her breast cancer diagnosis, Marcella Howard, a resilient Suncroft woman has become a powerful advocate for cancer awareness.

Diagnosed when her son was just 12-years-old, she recalled the fear and uncertainty of facing cancer as a mother:

“You only have one mammy and that’s it. Nobody ever tells you, yes, you’re the one who’ll make it. You just have to learn to live with that uncertainty.” 

Her family’s history with the BRCA gene, a gene that can increase the risk of developing cancer, meant she had already lost five cousins to breast or ovarian cancer. As the first long-term survivor in her family, she underwent a double mastectomy and ovary removal as preventative measures.

Her sister, who was diagnosed more recently, benefitted from routine monitoring due to the family’s BRCA gene history and was able to avoid treatment thanks to early detection. 

“That’s the difference 17 years makes,” she said, reflecting on the progress in cancer care.

Marcella is a cornerstone of the Irish Cancer Society’s Relay for Life community and has participated since the first ever relay. 

Her team, ‘Dream Believers’, run a 24 -hour tea and coffee stand and organising afternoon teas with home-baked goods to raise funds. This year’s Relay for Life Kildare, is taking place on June 7 at the Curragh.

The 24-hour event sees teams do laps of the relay course, to remember those who have been lost to the disease and to celebrate survivorship.

There is also a moving Candle of Hope ceremony, where people purchase candle bags in advance and decorate them in memory of loved ones who have passed away. The bags are then illuminated by candles and line the track in a beautiful show of remembrance.

She credits her early involvement with the Irish Cancer Society to her mother, who volunteered after losing her husband to cancer. 

“We always knew about the Cancer Society. It was just part of our lives.” 

As this year’s Relay for Life approaches, Marcella urges people to attend and experience its unique atmosphere. 

“It’s something you have to see to understand.” You can register a team or purchase a candle bag for Relay for Life Kildare now at relayforlife.ie.