Aubrey McCarthy (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tomorrow is Daffodil Day and I will reflect on the stories of courage, resilience and hope that define this wonderful initiative led by the Irish Cancer Society, which was with us here yesterday. This day is more than an annual fundraiser. It is a symbol of unity and determination in the fight against cancer, as well as a celebration of the incredible human spirit. There are stories close to me. I have neighbours and good friends, James and Kate Doyle. They are siblings whose journeys epitomise the highs and lows of battling childhood cancer. James was diagnosed with cancer at two and a half years of age and his family had four and a half years of treatment in St. John's Ward in Crumlin hospital. Thank God, he came out in remission. A decade later, lightning struck the same family twice when his six-year-old sibling, Kate, was diagnosed with the exact same cancer.