A Co Cavan mum-of-three who helped change Ireland’s bowel screening rules has unveiled this year’s Marie Keating Foundation bloom garden.<\/p>\n
Helen Dunne from Mullahoran was diagnosed with Stage 2 bowel cancer at just 36 years old.<\/p>\n
Helen who is a primary school teacher and lives in Dublin with her husband and three daughters was diagnosed with bowel cancer while her youngest child was just seven months old.<\/p>\n
Following six months of chemotherapy and surgery, she was given the all-clear in 2024.<\/p>\n
Helen has been an avid campaigner alongside the Marie Keating Foundation calling for the bowel screening age to be reduced, with the Minister for Health approving recommendations earlier this year to extend the programme to those aged 50-54.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Northern Sound, Helen said it’s important for people to trust their instincts and seek help if something doesn’t feel right.<\/p>\n
“When I first noticed symptoms, I genuinely thought it was something minor. Thankfully my GP encouraged me to get checked further, and that decision changed everything. Getting checked early gave me more time with my children and that\u2019s why I want other people to trust their instincts and seek help if something doesn\u2019t feel right,” she explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Bord Bia Bloom garden highlights the five most common cancers in Ireland – breast,\u00a0prostate,\u00a0bowel,\u00a0lung,\u00a0and skin cancer,\u00a0while guiding visitors through four key themes: prevention, screening and early detection, supporting people through and beyond cancer, and advocacy for fairer cancer outcomes across Ireland.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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