Orlagh Winters: Irish Cancer Society Ad Campaign Sickens Me

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DRIVING home from University College Hospital Galway during the week, I turned the radio off in temper.

Why? Because of that bloody advert for the Irish Cancer Society.

You know the one, “I want to get cancer…” It angers and sickens me so much that I can feel the bile rise inside me.

Oh, I get that some idiot thought that it would have the desired effect of highlighting the cancer statistics and the future predictions that by 2020 one in two will have cancer.

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Well you know what ICS,  it has angered me so much that I vow never to donate another cent to your charity.

As I watch cancer ravage my dad, my hero, I don’t need a group of actors to feign upset about getting cancer.

I know only too well what getting cancer means, I still have the scars both physical and emotional when cancer transformed my life forever.

In a week that my beloved dad’s brother was buried, as another family were robbed of a good man by cancer, I don’t need a reminder by the ICS of getting cancer.

I am apoplectic each time that the horrendous ad comes on TV or radio or when I see it in printed media.

There isn’t a town, a village, a street, a club, a society, a community that hasn’t been affected by cancer.

There isn’t a family that has escaped the all too important statistics. So why such an insensitive campaign? Did some committee sit down and think that this was a good idea?

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Whoever signed off of this advertising campaign needs to apologise to every single person who has had cancer or who has watched someone they love die from cancer.

Over the past week a woman told how they felt let down by the services provided by the ICS. She alleged that she was couldn’t get counselling from the Society for her young children who had lost their older brother to cancer and said she received the services from Arc.

Here in Kerry there is tremendous work done by the Kerry Cancer Support Group who provide the Health Link Bus for those travelling to Cork for treatment.

There are remarkable services also provided by Recovery Haven who offer counselling and holistic serices to cancer victims and their families.

These are the charities that the people of Kerry should support and not a charity that causes huge upset to the most vulnerable.

On the 24th of March Daffodil Day takes place and I really hope that people don’t donate to it. I hope instead that they will give generously to the cancer charities that make a difference.

Someone needs to be made accountable for this debacle. It is a national disgrace and the anger won’t go away until we get answers.

Until next time,

Take care!

Orlagh xx

2 Comments

  1. Tim landers says:

    Well said orlagh x

  2. Caroline coss says:

    Ya it’s sad alright very upsetting

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