Janice Flynn’s story began in 2018 at her daughter’s first birthday. She was in pain and went to her GP, who gave her cream. She thought that would be the end of it, but the pain kept coming back. Over eight months, it gradually got worse. Eventually, after looking up her symptoms online and seeing nothing but cancer, she went back to her doctor and said, “I need you to tell me this is not cancer.”
She was referred to Dublin Dental Hospital, where she had a biopsy. On 8 August 2019, Janice was diagnosed with cancer that had likely spread to her throat. By the end of September, she had major surgery, including a tongue reconstruction and neck dissection, with all lymph nodes removed.
Her journey with St Luke’s began in October 2019. She walked in terrified, holding her 18-month-old daughter, feeling like a child herself. She will never forget Professor Sinead Brennan sitting beside her, speaking mother to mother, and saying, “You can be both a patient and a mother, and we are going to help you do that.”
“I was incredibly lucky. It was just before COVID, so I could have my daughter with me during treatment. That meant everything. The patients and staff all knew her by name, and Mondays at the clinic became a bright spot because she would come bouncing in, singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, her favourite at the time. She was only 18 months old, but she filled the waiting room with joy. She never felt like she was in a hospital surrounded by sick people. Everyone made her feel welcome. ‘Hi Eva, how are you?’ they would say as she walked in.
She turned two during my treatment, and the nurses gave her a birthday gift. When I finished treatment, they gave her parting presents too. Every single day, as I walked out of radiotherapy, the team handed me an envelope full of stickers for her. And if I did not have anyone to watch her, they would sit with her while I was being treated. I chose not to stay at the Lodge because being with my daughter was my priority, and the team at St Luke’s made that possible. If anything came up, they were always ready to find a solution.”
Janice finished radiotherapy in January 2020. By the end of that year, she knew she wanted to give something back. That started with small fundraising challenges, but over time it became something much bigger.
“The fundraising part was both personal and a way to give back. When I was first diagnosed, I was overweight, and because my cancer affected everything from the neck up, including eating and swallowing, I naturally lost weight during treatment. I told Aisling, my dietitian at St Luke’s, that I did not want to gain it back. I could not control whether the cancer would return, but I could take control of my overall health, for myself and for my daughter.
One day, I came across a Facebook fundraiser: walk 100 kilometres in a month for breast cancer. I thought it was brilliant. It was something to get me outside, help my body, and clear my head. It had been a year since my diagnosis, and I was not sure I was up to the challenge, but I decided to try. I needed to do it for something that truly mattered to me, and that was The Friends of St Luke’s. That first walk, a year after surgery, became the start of something much bigger.”
What began as small fundraising challenges grew into something far beyond what she had ever imagined. Her earlier efforts each raised over €1,000, but more recently she set herself an ambitious target of €10,000. With the support of her community, Janice has exceeded that goal, raising more than €13,500. One of the most meaningful moments came when she organised a Ladies’ Night. What started as an idea became a full community event, something she says she will never forget.
“The fact that I am able to give back means everything. I remember finishing treatment and sitting down to write thank-you cards to the countless staff who helped me and my family, but I could not put it into words. I was overwhelmed by everything I had just been through, and by the realisation that I actually had a future, that I was going to come out the other side. And each of them played a part in that.
I used to sit watching them go about their work, moving from patient to patient with a smile, supporting people through the hardest moments of their lives. I remember thinking, I want to give back to the next person the way they gave to me. That feeling, that need to give forward, is what it all comes down to. It meant everything.”
Janice also believes that unless illness has touched your life directly, it is hard to fully understand it. She has shared more of her story over time, and says that has helped people around her understand why she fundraises.
“It is not easy for everyone to tell their story, but even sharing a piece of it might help someone who is scared or unsure about what they are feeling. If I can get just one person to say, this does not feel right, I should get it checked, then that is what my fundraising is for. It is about letting people know this matters.”
Janice shared: “through all my fundraising it was always important to include and remember that not everyone’s journey has the same outcome but their memory and fight is no less of an important legacy. Every step I took was and continues to be for every person who has stepped through the doors of St Luke’s or has yet to do so no matter what road their journey takes. The love and care provided to every patient and their family is no different. The work St Luke’s do is immeasurable.”