Cancer survivor calls for support for 'lifeline' that helped his family maintain normal life
Caren and Robert Flanagan with their son Luke at his Confirmation. The Irish Cancer Society's transport service gave Robert lifts to hospital after he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Picture: Irish Cancer Society
Free lifts to cancer treatment appointments meant one father of three could leave the car to his wife for school runs — and he was just one of almost 3,000 people helped in this way last year.
Robert Flanagan was 48 when he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2024.
The one-car family suddenly faced an unexpected challenge in trying to get him to regular appointments while keeping their children’s lives as normal as possible.
“When I received the news of my cancer diagnosis, everything became a blur,” he said.
“My thoughts immediately turned to my wife Caren and our three children.
Read More
"I went from being on medication for piles to being told I have Stage 4 colorectal cancer that has spread to my liver.”
At that point, Robert and Caren's children were aged 5, 11, and 13.
The family lives in Portlaoise, about an hour from Tallaght University Hospital.
“Suddenly something as simple as the school run is clashing with me needing to get to my treatment in Tallaght,” he said.
However, Robert was able to access free lifts through the Irish Cancer Society’s transport service.
“Those free lifts to hospital meant among the chaos of my cancer diagnosis and treatment, that a little bit of normality could carry on at home,” he said.
Describing this option as “a lifeline” he called on people to donate and support the society for Daffodil Day this year.
“They can’t be there for families like mine without your vital support,” he said.
Last year, almost 30,000 lifts were given to 2,830 people around the country.
Some 1,644 volunteer drivers kept the service going.
Irish Cancer Society chief executive Nikki Gallagher echoed Robert Flanagan's call for support, saying that many other vital services are provided free of charge thanks to donations.
It offered over 14,300 free counselling sessions and 5,965 free nights of night nursing for those at end of life, for example.
“It takes over €30m to run the Irish Cancer Society each year, including the delivery of our free services and investment in groundbreaking cancer research,” she said.
“Our aim this Daffodil Day is to raise over €6m — and every bit of support the Irish public can give us will go directly towards helping those impacted by cancer.”
She added that “just 5% of our funding” comes from the Government, meaning that the society relies on the public’s generosity to keep going.
The Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day takes place on Friday.
It urged people to buy a Daffodil Day pin on the day or donate at cancer.ie or via the donations tab in the Revolut app.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
