‘Push for your health’, urges young Derry mum

Misé McLaughlin was 22-years-old and her son, Fiachra, was just four months old, when she was diagnosed with the cancer in 2020, as the world entered into the COVID-19 lockdown.

The now 24-year-old spoke to the ‘Journal’ to raise awareness of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and also highlight the ‘amazing’ work and support of the Teenage Cancer Trust and the North West Cancer Centre in Derry.

Misé, from Creggan, is also supporting an upcoming fundraiser for the Teenage Cancer Trust, which is being organised by fellow Derry woman Tracey Hastings and her family. Misé initially found a lump in her collarbone when she was pregnant, but it ‘came and went,’ only to reappear much larger - the size of a marble - just days after she gave birth on October 2019. It was painless and moveable.

“I gave birth to Fiachra on the Friday and the following Sunday I found the bigger lump on my collarbone. I was worried but thought it would hardly be anything too serious,” she said. The lump was initially suspected to be a reactive lymph node, but when antibiotics didn’t clear it up, Misé was referred to hospital. There, she was told the lump was ‘nothing to worry’ about, but she continued to be concerned and online searches pointed her to Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Misé’s mental health began to deteriorate due to the worry of what might be wrong and she also began to get pains down her arm. She sought another appointment and tests, telling doctors she needed to see her ‘baby grow up’. At the next hospital appointment, Misé’s fiance, Cahir, said they wanted further investigation urgently and Misé was given an X-Ray, which found shadows around her heart and lung. An emergency CT scan confirmed she had two and a half litres of fluid on her left lung. Another lump was then found on Misé’s neck and after various tests and biopsies in both Derry and Belfast, Misé was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma on February 12, 2020. She said her diagnosis was actually a ‘relief’ as ‘now I knew what was wrong and it was treatable’. Mise outlined how she did have some breathlessness and itchy legs while pregnant, but put those down to pregnancy symptoms and said if she had not found the lump, she ‘would not have known anything was wrong’. Misé said the support of the Teenage Cancer Trust, including her nurses and the NW Cancer Centre made what was an extremely difficult time easier to navigate.

After her diagnosis, which occurred just as the world began to hear about Covid 19, Misé was told she would need four months chemotherapy and radiation. She then opted to undergo fertility treatment for egg retrieval.

When that was completed, she was told that while her lymph hodes were Stage 2 cancer, their positioning in her heart wall made them stage four. This meant she needed six months chemotherapy, which was to begin straight away. And then lockdown came in and Mise faced the rest of her appointments and treatment alone.

However, as she was under 25 years old, she was also introduced to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“My God, they were amazing. They offered me so much support. My Teenage Cancer Trust nurse, Jenny, was like my mammy in the centre. Because of lockdown, my own mammy couldn’t be with me, but Jenny laughed with me, she cried with me and just did everything for me. The Cancer Centre itself, although no-one wants to be there, is a lovely place to go. They make you feel so comfortable and cared for as soon as you walk in the door. They are the nicest people and we’re so lucky to have it here.”

Misé underwent 12 sessions of chemotherapy over the next six months, all while caring for a young baby and navigating through a pandemic. She was also admitted to hospital on a few occasions with infections. She told how she, Cahir and Fiachra ‘never left the house’ while she was having chemtherapy, which was tough in itself. This is also where the support of the Teenage Cancer Trust and those in the Cancer Centre was invaluable.

“We became like a little team. When nobody else can understand what you’re going through, they are there. When you were in the Cancer Centre you were able to ask questions and find out that what you were thinking was normal.” Misé is supporting a fundraiser being held by Derry woman Tracey Hastings, her daughter Amber and sisters, Maureen and Coleen.

“The charity is so close to my heart and when I heard it was for the Teenage Cancer Trust, I really wanted to support it. They did so much for us and provide so much, like counselling sessions, as well as certain rooms for chemo that don’t look as scary as the big rooms. My wee sister was six at the time and we were trying to explain to her that I would be losing my hair due to my medicine, The Trust gave her a Barbie doll, who didn’t have hair so she was able to figure out what was happening to me. They’re amazing.” Misé was told on the week of Fiachra’s first birthday that she was in remission. She is ‘doing really well’ and is busy being mammy to her son. She urged anyone who has concerns for their health to seek help and advice.

“Push for your health.I don’t blame the doctors for not realising at the start as they’re only human and it’s really not common for someone my age. I had no other symptoms. If I hadn’t have had the lump I would never have known. If you have any lump, then get it checked.”

The fundraiser organised by Tracey and her family is a Blind Date event, to be held in the Waterfoot Hotel on March 19.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up online at www.facebook.com/donate/4551876548268526/