Fundraiser for Mayo woman with third diagnosis of cancer

The family of a 38-year-old Mayo woman who was given her third diagnosis of cancer before Christmas have launched a fundraising campaign to help her receive medical treatment in the US.

Regina Duffy, a teacher from Westport, was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer before Christmas, having just gotten married to her partner Jason Donohoe months previously.

Ms Duffy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and successfully underwent treatment but was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2014 and again fought it with treatment.

Ms Duffy's sister in law Sian Duffy said a total of €370,000 is needed for her to undergo treatment at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York. So far, almost €200,000 has been raised on a go fund me page.

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“She [Regina] went out for an assessment two weeks ago and she’s been there since waiting for us to get the money together so that the treatment can start because without the full payment up front they won’t start any treatment,” Ms Duffy said.

She said her sister-in-law was “stunned” when she received her diagnosis at the end of 2018 having had “the perfect year”.

“In herself, she felt quite well but she was feeling quite dizzy. She would have regular check-ups following the brain tumour and I think she mentioned it to the doctor and they said ‘we’ll get you in and have a look’ and that’s when she got the diagnosis,” she said.

“I think it hit her like a tonne of bricks. It wasn’t what she was expecting. She had completed her treatment for the brain tumour sort of four years ago so you think at that point then she was clear. We were all thinking she’s so well, so fit and healthy. None of us were expecting this, it was a complete bolt out of the blue.”

Ms Duffy said the family will continue to fundraise for the treatment until the total of €370,000 is reached.