Daffodil day aims to raise €3m

The Irish Cancer Society is aiming to collect €3 million on Daffodil Day next month to provide vital services for cancer patients.

The money raised by the annual event, which will takes place on Friday, March 23rd, will be used to fund free nationwide patient care service for the 22,500 people who will develop cancer this year.

At the announcement of the Irish Cancer Society's 20th annual Daffodil Day by Minister of State Brian Lenihan, it was revealed the campaign has raised €33 million since it was first held.

John McCormack, chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society, said the organisation was aiming to double its income over the next five years.

"It is estimated that there will be 22,500 new cases of cancer in Ireland this year, and this figure will have risen to 43,000 new cases by 2020, which represents a 5.1 per cent increase year on year," he said.

"This increase or epidemic as it is now known, is due to an ageing and increasing population and a general neglect of healthy lifestyle behaviours and is placing a massive demand on our services, which are funded entirely through voluntary contributions," he added..

The society is calling on people to support the fundraising day by volunteering to sell daffodils, donating flowers or holding a coffee morning. With the money raised, the society provides a free night-nursing service helping patients to remain at home when they are in the final stages of their illness.

Last year night nurses provided 4,829 nights of care, looking after 1,261 patients in homes across Ireland. Around €800,000 was spent on funding cancer homecare teams to provide specialist palliative care nursing to patients at home.

The society also backed 26 hospital-based cancer liaison nurses to work in major cancer treatment hospitals. Funding also goes to run the National Cancer Helpline, 1800-200700, which receives around 10,000 calls a year.

The money raised also supports a play therapist in the children's cancer unit in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.

Additional reporting: PA