Daffodil Diaries - Mark Molloy

"The day I was going up to the Mater, I remember them telling me bring an overnight bag in case, but I was oblivious."

Then aged 35 years old, Mark Molloy’s world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) in May 2022.

. “I began to feel weak and tired after my hurling and football training. And after more intense games, I was coming down with these really bad headaches. That went on a few months and people started to ask me if I was okay, because I was looking pale. I went to the local GP and they were concerned after taking my bloods. They put me forward for a bone marrow scan in the Mater.”

Originally from Wexford, but now living in Meath, looking back, Mark says he wasn’t aware how serious it was. “The day I was going up to the Mater, I remember them telling me bring an overnight bag in case, but I was oblivious. I had hurling training that evening, and I thought with a bit of luck, I’d get back home for that session. When I went in to meet the consultant, they asked me if I knew why I’d been referred and from the start they were clear that they had concerns I could have cancer. I can’t really describe what it was like hearing them say that word. It just hit me. I couldn’t really come to terms with it.”

After being told what tests needed to happen that day, Mark phoned his girlfriend and asked her to come and meet him. “I done a few scans and we headed out for a bit of lunch and that afternoon, they told me that they all but knew I had Leukaemia. When they broke that news to me, they outlined a bit of what my treatment would look like and then, they brought up fertility. It was all a lot to take. Here I was going to check out what was going on with me feeling so tired and now I’m being asked to save my sperm in case I ever want to have children. In hindsight, being told that the treatment could stop me from ever having children was probably worse than getting the diagnosis itself. It was surreal."

Mark was straight into his treatment, which would last from May 2022 until March 2023. “I began my chemotherapy almost immediately. I was four weeks on and one week off and that went on until March 2023. I breezed through the first couple of cycles and I actually got great news early on that I was in remission but they said they wanted to finish out the course of treatment to make sure it was all gone. The chemo got harder as it went on. It would take ages as well for me in hospital because my blood count would drop as I got weaker and they would have to pause the treatment and get that back up again. That happened particularly around cycles five and six.”

"I didn’t get to deliver my best man’s speech. There’s no shame in saying that all of that really hit me hard."

The summer period took its toll on Mark emotionally and psychologically. “The summer was the hardest because that’s the GAA season and you’d be meeting up, playing matches, watching matches, socialising with your friends and my brother got married in the summer. I missed out on stag parties and I could only attend the ceremony of his wedding. I managed to get into a couple of photos but needed to go back the hospital because I was particularly weak then. I didn’t get to deliver my best man’s speech. There’s no shame in saying that all of that really hit me hard. I ended up speaking to the mental health nurse in the Mater who I can’t thank enough. I can’t thank all the staff enough, but the mental health nurse really helped me during that period.”

“My brothers, my parents, my girlfriend, a couple of really close friends and then the lads from Trim GAA, they all played a role in getting through that period and I’m so grateful to have had that support network around me. I suppose that’s why I wanted to fundraise and help others because I had that support network, and I thought of the person who maybe didn’t have it. That’s why the services of organisations like the Irish Cancer Society are so important to be able to step in and be there for that person. In my ward in the Mater, there were people around me who unfortunately passed away and I think that really gave me a different point of view. I was on the mend, and yes, it was really difficult for me, but there were people and families in worse positions and that perspective really helped me get through it and gave me focus and something to aim for with my fundraiser.”

“Everyone’s cancer experience will be different, but for me, talking to people and getting people around you and having that support network was so important."

Following the completion of his treatment, Mark organised a series of fundraising initiatives including a fun run in his native Wexford, and a number of coffee mornings in Wexford and Meath. “We were able to raise more than €28,000 to split between the Mater Hospital Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society. A huge amount of effort went in from my family and friends, and from the local clubs and organisations back home in Duncannon and in Trim. We raised awareness of cancer and vital funding for two brilliant organisations.”

Looking back on his cancer experience, Mark said what helped him through the most was his support network and having something positive to work towards post his treatment. “Everyone’s cancer experience will be different, but for me, talking to people and getting people around you and having that support network was so important. I was fortunate to have my family and my friends, but people should reach out and use local support services if you don’t have people around you. Don’t go through it on your own. Secondly, for me anyway, I had the idea of the fundraiser to give back and that gave me a positive mindset and it gave me something to aim for. I’m still on my maintenance treatment, and I’ll come off those tablets in January 2025. My girlfriend has also just gone past 20 weeks pregnant, so we’re also expecting a baby before the end of the year, which we’re over the moon with.”