Research for Advanced Breast Cancer

Hello, my name is Muireann Mc Colgan and I am raising money for Breast Cancer Ireland.

in October last year, just 2 weeks after having my daughter, I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Navigating an advanced cancer diagnosis with a new born baby has been some of the best and worst times of my life. I am still in shock and don't know if it will ever fully subside. My daughter has kept me going through these tough times and driven me to not take this lying down. I want to share my story and fundraise in the hopes that it may help others. You don’t need a genetic predisposition to get cancer. It can happen to anyone, at any age, even during pregnancy.

My cancer was misdiagnosed as mastitis at 31 weeks pregnant which led to a delay in diagnosis. Unfortunately, by the time it was caught the cancer had spread and I was already stage 4. While prognosis is improving all the time, stage 4 is the point at which cancer becomes incurable and ultimately, fatal. It is also the area that receives the least funding for research. Cancer research is responsible for the development of novel treatments which have the potential to extend patients lives by years. The most important thing to anyone in this position is time. Research gives me time with the people I love, and the opportunity to see my daughter reach the milestones that every parent looks forward to.

It has taken a lot for me to get to this point but I am now ready to do my part. In September I will be doing a coast to coast cycle to raise much needed funds for @breastcancerireland who strive to make this disease a chronic, rather than fatal one. Every new treatment is a lifeline which gives hope to us and our families. Should anyone wish to help out I would really appreciate anything you can do. A like, a share or a donation, it all helps.

https://www.instagram.com/maureen.mccloggin?igsh=MXE0a3ZmMmx1MXl3dQ==

Thank you for reading my story.