'Eileen's light will continue to shine,' mourners hear at funeral of HPV vaccine campaigner

Eileen Rushe with her mother after she was suprised with hundreds of daffodils supplied by Drogheda Dolls on St Patrick's Day this year. Her funeral today heard that "she had a light and a love that she shared freely and generously."

Eileen Rushe had "a light and a love that she shared freely and generously," mourners were told at the funeral today of the brave HPV vaccine campaigner who lost her battle with cervical cancer.

The 35-year-old mother of one was laid to rest on Monday, following Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Termonfeckin, Co. Louth.

Parish Priest Fr Paul Byrne recalled messages describing Eileen as having a "cheeky sense of humour" and having "honesty", "passion", "laughter", "courage" and "dignity".

"When someone we love dies, a light goes out," he said. "A darkness descends on us that we think will consume us forever. But somehow, I think that Eileen's light is one that will continue to shine brightly long after today.

"It is always hard to make sense of the illness and dying of one so young - a young mother, daughter, sister, friend. The suffering and dying of Eileen is beyond our comprehension and definitely leaves us with more questions than answers. We try to make sense of what makes no sense.

"Our gospel today reminds us that we are happy when we mourn. And this of itself can be a challenge as much as a comfort. But mourning is an expression of the loss of love.

"If we have not loved or known love, we cannot mourn for what is gone. And there is no doubt that love is definitely what surrounded Eileen in such an amazing way.

She had a light and a love that she shared freely and generously. Her desire to reach out on behalf of others, even in the midst of her own situation, surely is the hallmark of her love.

"Eileen was a light for others who maybe felt they had no voice, a beacon of strength and hope for other women who need an advocate.

"Her charity work and her advocacy are lights that will continue to shine brightly for a long time to come."

Fr Byrne said that from reading messages left for her, he discovered there were so many who had "similar experiences and feelings" from knowing Eileen.

Messages included: "Eileen was a person who lived with honesty, passion, laughter, courage and dignity. She had a warmness about her that invited you in, with a cheeky sense of humour.

"Incredibly inspiring with her positivity and courage while sharing her journey and raising awareness."

Fr Byrne read a poem by Dan Richardson on cancer.

Cancer is so limited. 
It cannot cripple love. 
It cannot shatter hope. 
It cannot corrode faith. 
It cannot eat away peace. 
It cannot destroy confidence. 
It cannot kill friendship, 
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage, 
It cannot invade the soul. 
It cannot reduce eternal life. 
It cannot quench the Spirit. 
It cannot lessen the power of the Resurrection.

"Over the past three years, Eileen had many who walked beside her and were friends to her, but I think her legacy of these last three years was that she was a friend to many as she walked with them."

The young mother received "heartfelt' apologies" and an undisclosed sum from the HSE last March for failings in her care at the Louth Co. Hospital.  Despite the cancer spreading to her brain, the 35-year-old continued to campaign for the HPV vaccine and just last month spoke about feeling "blessed" to have an "amazing" son, family and community around her.

In the weeks before her death, she purchased the local authority house she shared with her 14-year-old son Seamus in Termonfeckin, Co. Louth, to ensure he could continue to live in his childhood home, where he has so many memories and good neighbours.

Eileen was diagnosed with stage three cancer in December 2018 - despite being monitored for 18 months when abnormal cells showed up during a routine smear test in 2017. After beating the cancer initially, it returned aggressively, spreading to her spine and lungs.

Eileen was diagnosed with stage three cancer in December 2018 - despite being monitored for 18 months when abnormal cells showed up during a routine smear test in 2017. Photo: Collins

"On one occasion, Ltletz (the most common procedure in removing cervical tissue) was not administered but if it was, the likelihood is that I would not be facing a terminal diagnosis today," she said previously. 

Just last month she said: " "I feel very blessed for what I have. I have an amazing son, an amazing family and a community that never stops to overwhelm me with their thoughts and deeds. I feel very strongly about the vaccine and urge people not to shy away from it. 

"I know Covid-19 delayed the screening last year but it should be rolled out again in schools this year. Cervical screening does work. It picked up my abnormal smears and my cancer. It wasn't the screening that failed me.

"I just think that if it existed when I was a teenager, I wouldn't be dying now and my son wouldn't be facing a future as an orphan. And that's the clearest message I can give."