05 May 2015

Following the diagnosis on July 4th 2014, that she had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, 19 year old Shannen Bulman Joyce from Youghal was successfully treated at The Mercy University Hospital Cork, and is now urging people taking part in Cork City Marathon on June 1st, to do so in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation.

Shannen received the diagnosis after initially experiencing an ongoing groin pain for which she had an MRI scan. Shortly after, she started to feel sick, and was referred to The Mercy by her family doctor where the diagnosis was revealed. Shannen, who studying Recreation and Leisure in CIT, underwent chemotherapy for 18 weeks, and thankfully today is clear from cancer.

Already signed up to “Team Mercy” on June 1st are a number of Shannen’s family, friends, and teammates from Youghal Camogie Club, who hope to raise €16,000 which will be used to improve overall patient comfort for cancer patients at The Mercy. Funds raised by this group will be used to purchase 11 recliners, at a cost of €1,300 each, which will be used by patients undergoing chemotherapy to make them as comfortable as possible.

Urging people to run the marathon for the Mercy Hospital Foundation, Shannen said “The support, care and understanding that I received from the staff at The Mercy, on what was the toughest journey of my life was phenomenal. I was looked after so well, not only in St. Therese’s Ward, but also in a number of other wards including St. Anne’s that I spent time in at one point. It wasn’t just me they looked after though, they also helped my family through it. The staff always made me as comfortable as possible, but there’s always a way to make things better, and that’s why I’m urging people to run Cork City Marathon in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation.”

The Mercy Cancer Appeal aims to raise €2.5 million by 2016 to fund key services and advancements in the treatment of and research into many cancers, and anyone choosing to run Cork City Marathon in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation will be supporting this appeal. For those people in Munster diagnosed with cancer, The Mercy University Hospital will be at the forefront of diagnosis, research, treatment and care.

Shannen’s dad, Ken Bulman said “The community in Youghal has shown tremendous support so for our fundraising endeavours for The Mercy – Youghal Camogie Club, Shannen’s old school, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, and Aura Leisure Centre are just some of those who have lent their support. For the upcoming marathon we have a great bunch of supporters – 8 brave individuals are running the full marathon, 16 are doing the half marathon, and right now we have 7 relay teams lined up. Anyone running for the Mercy is very welcome to join us on June 1st.”

Micheál Sheridan, CEO, Mercy Hospital Foundation said “Our mission is to support the Hospital in delivering the highest quality of patient care by raising funds to support advancements and innovation in the treatment and care of patients at the Mercy Hospital, the People’s Hospital. We promise to do our very best to provide you with a world class hospital, right on your doorstep, and this is only possible through the help of our supporters and donors, like Shannen’s family and friends.”

Anyone interested in doing Cork City Marathon in aid of the Mercy Hospital Foundation can register at www.corkcitymarathon.ie, and then log on to www.mercyfundraising.ie or call (021) 4274076 for a Mercy t-shirt and sponsorship card.