A Dublin mum who beat cervical cancer will be facing her fears head on by skydiving to raise funds for a good cause.
Tallaght woman Shannon Murphy got a smear test after she dreamt she had contracted the disease last year. To her shock, her worst nightmare came true when she was diagnosed on her 28th birthday in 2022.
Thanks to early intervention, Shannon got the treatment she needed and is now in remission. The mum-of-four, who will turn 29 in June, said she wants to raise vital funds for the Irish Cancer Society to help other cancer patients.
Read more: 'I dreamt I had cancer - then I got diagnosed on my birthday'
Shannon told Dublin Live: "Last year wasn't the best year. When I got diagnosed, I hoped I'd make it to my next birthday.
"Before I always had this thing where I thought I didn’t want to be 30 but now I keep saying I’ll be so grateful if I get to 30. I was not going to celebrate and forget my birthday but I decided to celebrate the fact that I am here because some people aren’t as lucky.
"I didn’t want to do a marathon because a lot of people are doing that. So I thought I’ll do something that would be a lifetime experience that I’m going to remember."
And so, Shannon decided to go skydiving on her 29th birthday to raise valuable funds for the Irish Cancer Society patient services. Although she is now in remission, she still has to undergo regular checkups to keep everything in check.
The diagnosis gave her a new perspective on life, Shannon said. She added: "I think if someone had asked me to go skydiving a couple of years before I had cancer, I would have said, ‘Why would you want to do that? It’s so stupid’.
"But once you have cancer, and once you’re lucky enough to get another chance at life, you don’t really worry about things anymore. You appreciate everything so much."
This isn't the first time kind-hearted Shannon has raised money for a vital cause. Last year, she raised over a €1,000 that she donated to families who had children undergoing cancer treatment.
She said: "I wanted to help them with the carpark costs and other costs of living as many of these parents had to leave their jobs to look after their kids.
"I also some money to Iain Ward, known as the 'Chemo King' on TikTok. He's terminal so he doesn’t know how long he has left."
Shannon heaped praise on her doctor, Dr Waseem Kamran, who she said was there for her throughout the difficult journey. She said: "I work in a deli and one man asked me about the cancer ribbon tattoo on my finger. I said I had cervical cancer but I was in remission. He started crying and told me his sister had cervical cancer.
"He asked me who my doctor was and when I said it was Dr Waseem Kamran he said I was the third person who had said his name to him. that's how good he is."
You can donate to help Shannon on her GoFundMe page
Read more:
- Dublin ranked as second worst capital city to buy property in Europe
Man due in court following alleged assault at army barracks in Dublin
Marty Whelan backs Patrick Kielty to be next Late Late Show host
Female prison officer left with life-changing injuries after brutal attack in CCJ
Euphoria season three to be reportedly filmed in popular Dublin nightclub
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
