Nenagh nurse runs to honour her late brother
A Nenagh woman is to run the Women's Mini-Marathon in Dublin in memory of her brother, and to generate public awareness of the deadly cancer of which he died.
Michael Morgan, Cappanasmear, Borrisokane, and formerly of Ormond Street, Nenagh, died of oesophageal cancer of February 7th last – just two months after his 40th birthday.
His sister Louise Morgan Walsh (37) is running the 10km mini-marathon on June Bank Holiday Monday to honour the memory of her brother, to raise funds to fight the disease he died from, and to make people aware of the early warning signs of oesophageal cancer in the hope of saving even one person from the fate suffered by her beloved brother.
Louise, a member of the nursing staff at Nenagh Hospital, said that following Michael's death, she had been struck by the lack of awarness about oesophageal cancer. 'It's a cancer many people just don't seem to know about,' she says. 'People have come to me asking me what the symptons are. I feel the need for awareness about it is huge.'
If not diagnosed in time the conseqences can be fatal, and Louise is now on a personal mission to save the lives of those who may be in the early stages of the disease, but who are ignorant of the potential symptoms of an illness that could end up killing them.
Ireland has one of the highest rates of oesophageal cancer in Europe among men and women, with almost 400 new cases diagnosed each year. The National Cancer Registry predicts the figure to rise to at least 800 by 2040.
Louise hopes her participation in the mini-marathon will help draw attention to the early risk factors. These include severe or chronic regurgitation of acid from the stomach, chronic heartburn, smoking, and obesity.
The Oesophageal Cancer Fund says early detection is vital, pointing out that early diagnosis can result in a cure in a high percentage of cases, often with innovative approaches that are less severe than surgery or chemotherapy.
The campaign by Louise seems to have captured the imagination of many other female runners from Nenagh and surrounding areas who have decided to join her mini-marathon team to help with her cause.
Part of the team taking part in the run will be wearing pink singlets emblazoned with the 'Lollipop Day' logo – the annual fundraising and awareness campaign for oesophageal cancer.
A separate all-female team founded in Ballycommon – and with the dubious sounding title, the 'Durty Mudders' – have also decided to row in behind the efforts of Louise.
Should you wish to honour the memory of the late Michael Morgan and join his sister in doing something positive to fight the potentially fatal disease, you can make a donation to the Oesophageal Cancer Fund.
See Louise Morgan Walsh's own Facebook page to see how you can make a contribution, or see www.lollipopday.ie or www.Facebook.ie/Lollipopday
In the meantime, Louise and her large team of fellow runners are on the lookout for a bus company to sponsor their journey to the mini-marathon on June Bank Holiday Monday. Any takers?