Cancer patient raises £20,000 for charities supporting her

AN Omagh woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer just over two years ago has raised an astonishing £19,075 for two charities who have helped her during her illness.

Cathy Donaghy Burns wanted to give something back after receiving amazing support from both charities after her diagnosis in October 2020.

Since then, Cathy has gone through an extensive treatment regime which has included six rounds of chemotherapy, 17 rounds of radiotherapy, and 23 rounds of immunotherapy.

She will continue to receive monthly immunotherapy at Altnegelvin Hospital in Derry for the next five years. Cathy said that Care for Cancer and the North’s only specialist breast cancer, Pretty n Pink, had been amazing to her and her family through some rough times.

She said, “I have received a lot of support from Care for Cancer here in Omagh. Their voulnteers and nurses have been a fantastic support throughout my cancer journey. I have also received free counselling sessions through Pretty n Pink, who are the only dedicated breast cancer charity in the North.

“Both of these charities do amazing work for people throughout their treatment. They don’t just provide medical care for people. Their volunteers have seen everything and can be an amazing source of comfort throughout rough times,” said Cathy.

The Omagh woman wanted to give back to these organisations that have done so much for her.

Along with a group of family members, she organised a fundraising night at Omagh St Enda’s GAA club. The initial goal was to sell just over 100 tickets, but they ended up tripling this number.

Cathy said, “The people of Omagh have been so generous and I can’t thank them enough. It has been amazing the number of people who donated and bought tickets to our fundraising night. I thank everyone who donated and helped.”

A number of businesses have also donated to the fundraising effort, primarily Woodvale Construction who helped to sponsor the night at St Enda’s. Other businesses that donated include Charlie’s Bar, Scott and Ewing Group, Lyons Brothers Car Sales, WW Tyres and Euro Auctions.