Donegal Ciara's cancer journey leads to 'Wee Care Packages' to help others

Ciara Barber (32) launched ‘Wee Care Packages’ with her sister, Siobhan, and the collection includes ‘The Chemo Box.’ ‘The Radiation Box,’ ‘The Sleep and Relax Box’ and ‘The Deluxe Box.’

Each package includes specially-selected items to bring comfort, alleviate symptoms and promote relaxation and care.

Speaking to the Journal, Ciara says that, just after Christmas 2018, at the age of 28 and working as a waitress in the Hilton Hotel, Dublin, she began to develop a stutter in her speech.

She was later diagnosed with a brain tumour – an oligodendroglioma – and underwent an operation in Beaumont Hospital.

Always positive and determined, Ciara returned to work the following April and her three month follow-up scan was positive. Unfortunately, the sixth month scan showed the tumour was growing back and she needed both radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

The diagnosis and treatment plan also came right at the time the world was locking down due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Ciara says she’s ‘always been a positive person’ and has a real ‘can-do’ attitude. She has previously worked on cruise ships and lived in Las Vegas and says she also received strong support from her family, friends and the local community.

She moved back home to Donegal to undergo chemotherapy and is now doing well.

She came up with the idea for ‘Wee Care Packages’ as she was undergoing treatment.

"No-one really knew what to get me and it can be really hard for people to know what is best,” she says. “My friend gave me lots of wee things and I loved them. I thought that care packages would really help people in my situation. It’s a really stressful time for everyone and I thought it could, hopefully, take the stress out of an already stressful situation. I wanted it to help people and I’m also not one to sit in the house, doing nothing.

"I got together with my sister, Siobhan, and we wrote down what we thought people would like and the things that I found really useful. For the ‘Chemo Boxes’, we have things like a hat, anti-sickness sweets, and fluffy socks, because you need your comfort. For the ‘Radiation Box’, I found, with me, I really needed things for my skin and did a lot of moisturising, so we looked at that. You can mix and match between boxes as well. The ‘Sleep and Relax Box’ is for anyone who wants a wee bit of relaxation and it and the ‘Deluxe Box’ is a bit of everything. People can mix and match the boxes as well.”

Ciara and her family have also been fundraising for the Oncology Department at Letterkenny University Hospital and her brother, Cathal, uncle Luke and Siobhan took part in a head shave.

Her mother, Miriam, is also holding a coffee morning to celebrate her 60th birthday in O’Flaherty’s Bar in Buncrana on May 12 from 10am-2pm for the Oncology and Haematology departments at LUH.

Follow ‘Wee Care Packages’ on Facebook and Instagram.