‘I was so scared as it had happened so quickly’

THERE aren’t many 13-year-old boys whose main ambition in life “is to give something back.”

But Declan Molloy readily admits that he’s more mature than many of his friends and “never takes anything for granted.”

His life was turned upside down when, aged nine, he began to feel progressively weaker and lost his appetite.

His mother, Maria, and father, Tony, also noticed he was losing weight and if he bled, the cuts didn’t heal as fast as before.

The Molloy family, from Portarlington, Co Laois, went to a GP on a Monday and were sent to Portlaoise General Hospital immediately for tests, where acute myeloid leukaemia was diagnosed.

By Tuesday, they were at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Dublin and the following day Declan was having a tube fitted so he could begin chemotherapy on Thursday.

“It was all very frightening. I couldn’t sleep the night before going to Dublin. It was October 17. I was so scared as it had happened so quickly,” said Declan.

He didn’t return home to his parents and younger brother, Stephen, then aged five, until Christmas Eve.

But, he was back in hospital within days, as he had to undergo another four rounds of 10-day chemotherapy sessions.

It was gruelling, he said.

“I was weak, in pain and missed my friends but what bothered me most was my hair falling out. I was never without my woolly hat, indoors or outdoors. The only time I’d take it off was when I was in the shower,” he said.

Declan describes leukaemia as “scary and lonely.” He said he felt angry a lot and when offered the chance to go to Barretstown Gang Camp in Co Kildare, he jumped at it.

The activity camp’s mission is to provide psychosocial support for children diagnosed with cancer and other serious illnesses through a programme of therapeutic renovation - a concept they describe as “serious fun.”

“I did canoeing, archery, walked a tightrope, horse riding. I was there for 10 days and it was absolutely brilliant,” said Declan.

This year, 1,600 children and families from 21 countries will visit Barretstown and children from Slovakia and Bosnia will visit for the first time.

Up to 250,000 new cases of childhood cancer occur each year worldwide and although advances in treatment mean over 70% of children can survive cancer, this level of treatment is only available to 20% of the world’s children. As 80% of them live in developing countries, they do not get access to diagnosis and treatment that could prevent them from dying.

Yesterday, past visitors to Barretstown celebrated International Childhood Cancer Day in Dublin with ambassadors and representatives from countries that Barretstown serves.

“It was great to be at the celebrations yesterday,” said Declan. “I know I’m one of the lucky ones. Every night I say a prayer that I won’t relapse. They say it’s twice as bad the second time.”