Dig deep and give what you can on most important Daffodil Day ever

Eli McCarthy picks some daffodils at Elmgrove Farm, Gormanston, Co Meath ahead of Daffodil Day. Photo: Mark Condren

Editorial

As a symbol of the renewal and hope brought about by spring, the daffodil has few rivals. This weekend, the push is on to support people with cancer – and the daffodil forms the focal point of that push.

Daffodil Day – promoted by the Irish Cancer Society – is at the heart of all our battles with the scourge that is cancer. This year’s Daffodil Day is the most important to date as the cost-of-living crisis has made life even harder for people battling the illness.

Across Ireland, there is scarcely a single home that has not been touched in some way by this long-feared disease, either via a loved one, a relative, a neighbour, a work colleague or a friend. We are all at risk from it and some people reading this now are already fighting it.

In the build-up to Daffodil Day, the Irish Independent has worked with the Irish Cancer Society to compile a series of both heart-breaking and inspiring stories. It is our privilege to tell these stories in print and online in the hope that they may help others who are struggling come to terms with a diagnosis.

We proudly decorate our newspaper and online masthead with the daffodil as the symbol of hope, solidarity and resistance against the harm wrought by cancer.

We are equally proud to work with the Irish Cancer Society as a source of information and practical help for people affected by the disease.

Cancer sufferers and their families are faced by many challenges. There is emotional trauma and a difficulty in grasping the huge implications arising from a positive diagnosis. Often, there is resultant financial pressure as income may be reduced while demand for outgoings can increase.

The latter two realities are compounded by runaway inflation which has driven up the price of necessities such as heating and fuel for transport. It is because of these reasons that Daffodil Day 2023 – which, despite the name, spans a full weekend of events – is the most important yet.

Cancer patients need our help more than ever before. It is crucial that we all give as generously as possible.

The Irish Cancer Society says the cost-of-living crisis has placed an added strain on people affected by cancer. This has led to an increased demand for the society’s services, especially relating to financial advice and counselling.

It should come as no great surprise that the charity is now supporting people in far higher levels of distress. For example, the demand for counselling supports has increased significantly.

On top of that, the number of journeys provided by the society’s transport services has increased by 30pc over the past year. Spending on children’s services has increased four-fold over the last two years.

Today and over the weekend, Irish Cancer Society collectors will be out in force across the country. They desperately need your support. This is one collection you cannot pass without reaching for a generous donation.