Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are taking storytelling to a new platform as they launch a two part podcast, Focus On, to help recognise breast cancer awareness month. This video podcast series will dive into honest and raw conversations with local people and their experiences with cancer. From diagnosis, treatment, life after cancer and everything in between. The series won’t turn away from the tough topics and will explore the sides of cancer people often don’t see or talk about. The episodes will focus on the experiences of local women and are hosted by Cool FM radio presenter and longtime Cancer Focus NI ambassador, Rebecca McKinney. The subject matter hits home for the beloved host as she touches on her own mum’s battle with breast cancer, making her uniquely equipped to walk through these often tough and uplifting conversations.
Rebecca discussed the recordings of the Focus On podcast, she said: “It’s hard to put into words how special it is to sit down with two women who aren’t afraid to share some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, knowing they might make other women who have been recently diagnosed or had their own experience with breast cancer feel like they are not alone. And that is entirely the point of this podcast. Listening to their stories and how I could relate in my own way with my mum’s breast cancer experience made me realise how this is a resource we are missing.”
The guests for the first two episodes of the Focus On podcast are Elspeth Flenley and Holly McKeown, two local women who bravely let the audience peak behind the curtain and see what it is really like to be diagnosed with breast cancer discussing everything from how they told their families, navigating family life while being sick from treatment, medical menopause and more. No topic is off limits.
Cancer Focus NI’s support services were a lifeline for Holly, and she knows it’s so important that someone who is in the thick of a cancer diagnosis knows they have somewhere to turn. She said: “I really wish there was something like this local podcast available when I was going through treatment. Talking openly about my cancer diagnosis and everything that followed has really helped me process it, and if I help even one person feel less alone or ask for support when they are struggling, then it’s worth it. I can’t wait to listen to more episodes and hear more stories. Cancer is the club you don’t want to be a part of, but the more we talk and share we take away the stigma of having to deal with it on your own.”
While discussing their own breast cancer experiences, Elspeth and Holly touch on the support they received from Cancer Focus NI including counselling, support groups, bra and swimwear fitting and breast cancer retreats. Shelley-Marie McDonald, Director of Therapeutic Services and Clinical Governance speaks to the importance of having these open and honest conversations, and the knock on effect this has. She noted: “Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women, with 1 in 8 women diagnosed with breast cancer in Northern Ireland. We can’t thank Holly and Elspeth enough for being our first guests and for talking so candidly about the realities of living with cancer and all the ways it can affect not only your life, but your family and friends’ lives. They both touch on really important issues like early menopause, hair loss and body image and these conversations will make other women who might have had a similar experience know they are not alone, and that is such a gift.”
You can support the charity’s services this October so that more women like Elspeth and Holly receive the specialist cancer support they need when they need it the most. You can go pink at work school or home, sign their online petition, or register for one of Cancer Focus NI’s iconic Pink Runs taking place in Enniskillen, Belfast and for the first time Derry/Londonderry. Go Pink this October at cancerfocusni.org.
The Cancer Focus NI’s Focus On Podcast is now available to watch and listen to on YouTube and Spotify.
Read more: Action Cancer launches October Breast Cancer Awareness campaign with Gordons Chemists · Love Belfast backs Cancer Focus NI’s Go Pink campaign this October with announcement of charity media partnership
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