A YOUNG Southside woman, whose mother has made a full recovery from oesophageal cancer, took on a gruelling cycle in Cuba recently to raise funds for the charity that supports sufferers and raises awareness about the illness.
Beverley Finnegan from Dundrum recently completed the 350 kilometre cycle in Cuba, from the capital Havana to Trinidad, in temperatures of up to 35 degrees, to raise funds for the Oesophageal Cancer Fund.
Oesophageal cancer hit her family back in 2006 when her mother, Iris, was diagnosed with the disease.
It was a complete shock to the family, as Iris simply found that her food
“stuck
? in her oesophagus when she swallowed a few times. As she never experienced this sensation before, she felt it should be checked out and she was eventually diagnosed with the disease.
The months that followed were very tough on Iris, but she fought the disease and has since made a full recovery.
Beverley, who took on the cycle along with 15 other fundraisers, said the heat in Cuba was one of the most challenging aspects of the 350 kilometre journey.
“It was tough,
? she recalled.
“It was five days of cycling all together and we cycled anything from 60 to 110 kilometres a day. The heat was the biggest problem.
“One morning taking off at 8am it was 28 degrees and we had a seven hour cycle after that, and at one point we were cycling in 35 degrees, which was probably the bit that I couldn’t train for.
“The best part of the trip for me was on the second last day when we were doing an 80 kilometre cycle and the last eight kilometres was steep uphill. It was very hot and the highlight was making it up there and I only got off the bike once. We had a few mojitos when we finished as well.
?
Beverley explained that she believes it is important to raise funds for the charity because it has helped many sufferers, including her mother, during their illnesses.
In addition, she said she wanted to raise some awareness about this particular type of cancer because there is little knowledge about the disease among the general public.
“My mother was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2006,
? Beverley said.
“She had very few symptoms that were obvious. Her food got stuck when she swallowed, but only about three times, and she just decided that she needed to get it checked out and she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
“Literally from there she went through a lot of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and then an operation.
“Although it was a few years ago now it took all of that to help her make a full recovery and get to where she is today. I just felt that this is a cause that I don’t think attracts a huge amount of publicity, and people are not necessarily as aware of oesophageal cancer as they would be of other cancers.
?
Beverley has raised
?¬1,970 through sponsorships for the cycle in Cuba. Her employer Google has promised to match the money she raises up to a limit of
?¬6,000. She is currently hoping to raise further donations from the public and she note that all funds raised will go to The Oesophageal Cancer Fund.
The Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF) is a registered charity that was set up in 2002 to raise awareness of and money for research into oesophageal cancer. Every year, the Oesophageal Cancer Fund hosts the nationwide Lollipop Day calling on the public to buy a lollipop.
?¢ To find out more about the Oesophageal Cancer Fund and Lollipop Day log on to lollipopday.ie.