'All we can do is keep fighting': Mother issued with eviction notice two months after cancer diagnosis

Karla Trujilo with her son Kai. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in May 2025 before she got a notice to quit from her landlord in July.

Karla Trujillo is dealing with an eviction notice and a cancer diagnosis at the same time, facing the possibility of having to stay in an Airbnb during her treatment.

After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in May 2025, Karla, 34, mum to two-year-old Kai, was told in June that the cancer had spread to her neck. 

A notice to quit from her landlord was issued a month later. She underwent surgery in August and is currently waiting to undergo a course of radiotherapy.  

She and her husband have been told they need to be out of their current residence by November. They have had no luck sourcing alternative accommodation to date.

“I never thought that I would be in the position I’m in now," Karla said. “I’m currently doing physiotherapy because I lost part of my mobility, but it's coming back now. 

"However, my mental health has really suffered. I’m having my radiation consultation, and one of the requirements is that I am in an isolated place. 

"This would be easy to do where we live right now, but we are going to live with in-laws, which presents a lot more challenges. I’m not yet sure how long the treatment will last. 

"We have so much on our shoulders right now... Our days are spent trying to put out all the fires that we have around us," she added.

“We moved into an unfurnished house in July 2025, believing it would be our long-term home. We spent thousands furnishing it, only to be told in July 2026 that our landlord wanted to sell and we would need to be out by November. 

"People are suggesting that we put all our stuff into storage, but it’s not that simple. It would be like paying another rent if we were to put everything we own into storage. This is why we’re letting go of everything.” 

The couple has been attending home viewings since receiving the notice to quit.

“At the moment we are paying €1,600. That’s a lot higher when you factor in the electricity and all that, maybe €2000 a month. 

None of the houses we are looking at are under €2000. We are even talking about €2,100 for a one-bedroom apartment. 

"People are planning for the future, but I just can’t do that. We might have to get an Airbnb for the isolation. All we can do is keep fighting.” 

Karla, who originally hails from Canada, said she feels grateful to at least have a roof over her head.

“I'm struggling with the fact that I'm very lucky to have a roof over my head. My in-laws are so gracious to accept us and welcome us back into their home. 

"I know that a lot of people probably don't even have that support. There is a possibility that, even though my partner and I both make good money, we could be homeless if we didn’t have this option. 

"It might seem like an easy solution for me to go back to Canada because I had it good there, but it’s much more complicated than that. My partner is of an age where he can't just come to Canada and start on a working visa.” 

Growing demand for Threshold services

Housing charity Threshold dealt with 2,100 new cases in Cork between January and September of this year, with 1,527 cases in the “at risk” category for people potentially facing homelessness. 

Threshold’s national advocacy manager Ann-Marie O’Reilly reflected on the current situation. “It’s shocking because life continues for people, regardless of what's happening with the housing situation. 

"Around 10 or 12 years ago, we were generally seeing people at the more vulnerable end of the spectrum in society. Then we started to see that spread a little further. We were seeing a single working parent or two working parents in a family.

"That was a reflection of there being fewer housing options available to people. All we can do is try to keep people in their homes or make sure they can find another home."

"Sadly, this is becoming increasingly difficult. We have a very restricted number of solutions to give to people. You really want to help the person. You want to give them the best shot possible. The solutions are starting to whittle down, and that makes it very challenging.” 

She described how the demographic using Threshold services has evolved.

“We don't see as many younger people as you might imagine. When we think of renters, we often think of people in their 20s or their early 30s. They are in college or just starting work and living with pals. 

"Surprisingly enough, what we are actually seeing is a very small number of our clients who are under the age of 24. People between the ages of 35 and 65 make up half the people that comes to us for assistance. 

About 40% are families, and that is fairly evenly split between one-parent families and two-parent families. 

"In addition to this, about 40% of the people who come to us are in employment, and one-fifth are receiving a social welfare payment.” 

The charity has been dealing with unprecedented demand.

“About 40% of people who come to us are in employment, while about one-fifth are receiving a social welfare payment. For the first three quarters of the year, we had 2,100 households who came looking for assistance in Cork city and county. 

"This was up by 400 on the previous year. The primary reason we see people at risk is because they have that notice of termination and the clock is ticking."