Emma Cassidy
Emma Cassidy’s life changed dramatically on June 27, 2017. Three months after her 30th birthday, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. “It was a massive shock.” she reflects, “as I didn’t have any family history. Nor did I have any of the major symptoms associated with the disease.” In the lead up to her diagnosis, Emma experienced what she describes as “overwhelming fatigue”, yet all of her blood tests, she recalls, “were clear and nothing else seemed wrong.”
Emma’s GP referred her to the breast clinic in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, to get checked as a precautionary measure. The decision to attend was a fortuitous one that undoubtedly saved her life. “The day I went to the clinic they found a lump, and on the same day I had two ultrasounds, two mammograms and three biopsies.”
Within a week, Emma was diagnosed, and two weeks after that she had a double mastectomy. The following week she started chemotherapy. “Breast cancer can affect all ages,” Emma reasons. “That is why it is so important to support charities like Breast Cancer Ireland, which raises vital funds for advances in research and awareness.”
Recently, Emma gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Sam; who was born two and a half years after her treatment had finished.