Latest news with #LeonaMacken
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Ireland AM stars Tommy and Muireann fight back tears in emotional interview with young mum who has incurable cancer
IRELAND AM stars Tommy Bowe and Muireann O'Connell fought back tears during an emotional interview with a young mum who has an incurable cancer diagnosis. Hairdresser Leona Macken, 38, appeared on the hit chat show this morning to discuss her devastating diagnosis. 2 Leona Macken appeared on Ireland AM as a guest this morning Credit: VMTV 2 Muireann and Tommy were emotional during the interview Credit: VMTV Leona was diagnosed with stage three cervical in June 2023 and underwent radical surgery followed by postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Despite intensive treatment, recurrence of her cancer was diagnosed in March 2025 and has advanced to stage four. Leona took legal action from what she said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Last Tuesday an as the young mum, and her husband, Alan, settled a High Court action against the . read more on ireland am Leona spoke about her several health checks in the years prior to her diagnosis. She told viewers: "I went for my eligible one [smear test] in 2013, that was grand. I didn't hear anything back. "In 2016, I was due a smear again and I was like, 'Right, we'll do this before we start planning on having a baby'. Went and got that done, came back fine, got on with my life again. "Then I had two babies in 2017 and 2019 and everything was fine. I went for another smear in 2020 and it was fine as well. read more on the irish sun "As the years went on, I kind of started noticing a few little symptoms, nothing that I was too kind of worried about. "I had two babies, I was thinking I was getting older, my body was changing. And I kind of started going with like little symptoms; pelvic pains and irregular periods, things like that. Ireland AM host's left shocked at guest's sunbed horror "We started just doing tests here and there. Again, I wasn't stressing it too much because I never ever thought [of] cancer at all. I thought, 'I'd had all my smears'." Leona was experiencing symptoms about "a year and a half before" her smear test in 2020 and had an ultrasound done in January 2023 that "came back fine". She was then due to have another smear test in 2023 and it came back with "high grade abnormalities". Leona explained: "When I got that call that's when I went, 'Oh my God, it's getting a lot more serious here', and that's when I was told that I need to go for a colposcopy. 'THAT'S A LOT' "And by this stage, I was looking at like the early cancer symptoms and I literally had every one of them. And that's when I kind of realised, 'Okay, this is cancer'. Like I kind of had it in my head before I was diagnosed almost." Leona had a colposcopy which confirmed she had cancer in June 2023 and just weeks later in July 2023, she had a hysterectomy. Leona replied: "It was a lot. I was like, 'Just get this out of my body, let's just get this done - whatever I have to do, I'll do it'. And look, we were confident enough. They said I was like stage 1B2 and we'll do the hysterectomy and it should be okay. 'HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?' "And then when I came out of the hysterectomy, they kind of said, 'Look, we had to look at lymph nodes and stuff', and then I found out after that there was lymph node involvement. "So then I was up to like stage 3C1. That's when they kind of started talking to me about chemotherapy and radiotherapy." Leona responded: "I kind of felt like they were listening to me to a certain extent. But again, I was like thinking, 'How did I how did this happen?', I would ask, like, 'How I how did I go from a perfect smear in 2020 to now?'. PAINFUL JOURNEY "A part of me was almost afraid to ask the hard questions as well in case I almost upset someone or offended. I had a lot of questions myself. That's when I started looking into it when I was at home." When asked how she found out she had stage four cancer, Leona explained: "Just this year in January. I actually contacted them. So in 2024 I was in a lot of pain after he treatment first time around, they were saying like, 'The radiotherapy has side effects'. "At this stage, I was also menopause, I had a hysterectomy, I had chemo, there was a lot. It was hard to pinpoint what was causing what. "It was really hard to kind of go, 'Okay, this is what is causing this and this is what'. As much as it was hard to say, I was trying to articulate it as much as I could to each consultant that I went to. "It was a bit of a mess. But again, I was trying my best to kind of say, 'Who do I say this to?'. I was moving on pain killers, I was getting pain injections. "And, I was thinking, 'God, if I have to live with this, how am I going to manage it?'. Then in January, I just rang them and I was like, 'Look, you have to see me. I'm just in too much pain'. And then it just all kind of kicked off again. 'FLOORED ME' "That was the appointment where I was kind of starting to get frustrated. I was like, 'Look, I've been saying how much pain I'm in'." Leona detailed how she was told her cancer is "back and it's stage four" during an appointment and when she asked if they can do treatment she was told they "possibly" could but it would be "just to keep it at bay". She added: "And that for me was the appointment that just floored me. I just felt like I tried to do everything to stay on top of it for so long. And I felt like I was chasing it for so long." Tommy said: "You done everything." Leona added: "I felt like I just let myself down. I didn't win. And it was soul destroying. It was gut-wrenching. I think fell into the chair. I just wanted to get out of the appointment. "We left and we just sat in the car and we just cried and cried and cried and cried. And then I had to go home and tell my parents. 'SOUL DESTROYING' "For me looking at my kids and just all I could see was what I was going to miss or what I wasn't going to be there for." Tommy, who was tearing up, added: "And to have been going through that pain as well with them to see their mum in pain." Leona replied: "I mean, they've been absolutely amazing. But I can only protect them from so much." Muireann remarked: "I just I can't imagine how angry I'd be. I'd want to shout it at the sky." Leona said: "I did have a lot of anger at the start. I think when I was first asking questions is when I had the most anger because I knew I'd done everything and I was so confident that I'd done everything. 'SO SCARY' "But I had to let go of it because it was just ruining now. And I just thought to myself, 'All I have is now', and all any of us have is now. "I'm not the only family this is happening to. It is still happening. I'm not a lone wolf here and that's the scary thing. These are abnormalities that are on slides that are very obvious that should be detected and early. And that's that. "Timing is everything with cancer. If I had been told this in 2016 or 2020, I would be living a completely different life today, that's what's hard to accept." Tommy said: "You said you're not angry. It must... you've two young girls. It's the fear." Leona replied: "It's so scary. I mean, every single day I just look at them and I think how they'll be without me. And like, I'm not giving up. What are the symptoms of cervical cancer? There are no obvious symptoms during the early stages of cervical cancer. However, vaginal bleeding can often be a tell-tale sign, especially if it occurs after sex, in between periods or after the menopause. That said, abnormal bleeding is not a definite sign of the condition, just a possible indicator. Nevertheless, it should be investigated by your GP as soon as possible. Other warning signs include: pain and discomfort during sex unusual or unpleasant vaginal discharge pain in your lower back or pelvis And if it spreads to other organs, the signs can include: pain in your lower back or pelvis severe pain in your side or back caused by your kidneys constipation peeing or pooing more than usual losing control of your bladder or bowels blood in your pee swelling in one or both legs severe vaginal bleeding "I've looked into everything. I'm still looking into things and I'm not giving up." Leona's husband Alan was also sat in the Virgin Media studio and both Muireann and Tommy got emotional as they addressed him an thanked Leona for her time. Muireann said: "When you think you've got small problems and you see what you're going through. Alan has been looking at you, your husband, the whole way. "The love in his eyes, everything that you're doing, you're doing together. Obviously, it's been so hard. "You've got your family, you've got your girls. Regardless of how long it is, I know you're going to keep on searching to stay as long as you can and you're living your life. "It can't be easy doing this and we really appreciate it." Tommy added: "Thanks so much for coming on. To your little girls and of course Alan as well who's here, thanks so much."
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Leona Macken on cancer in Ireland: ‘Mammies, daughters, sisters are being ripped from their families'
Leona Macken says she is fighting to stay alive for her daughters. The 38-year-old woman with incurable cervical cancer received an apology on Tuesday from the HSE over 'failings' that occurred in two smear tests before her diagnosis in 2023. Leona, from Cork, and her husband, Alan, from Dublin, have two young daughters – Quin is eight and Drew is about to turn six. In an interview with The Irish Times at their home in Artane, Leona says: 'That's what keeps me going. I want them to look back and see how much I wanted to stay here, and how much I fought to stay here. READ MORE 'All I've ever wanted to do is give my kids a nice childhood that they don't have to recover from when they're adults. And I just feel like it's a bit out of my hands now. I mean, they're going to be affected, no matter what.' Leona sued the HSE over two cervical smear tests, one in 2016 and one in 2020, claiming they were incorrectly reported as negative. Medical expert evidence given in her case indicated that the test by US company Quest Diagnostics, which analyses smear tests for the HSE, should not have been reported as negative and concluded that the delay in identifying precancerous abnormalities directly resulted in her developing cervical cancer. Despite the clear smears, she knew something was wrong. She thought she might be experiencing polycystic ovaries, endometriosis or perimenopause, but didn't think 'for one second' that it was cancer. [ CervicalCheck patients have improved healthcare with their advocacy, study finds Opens in new window ] However, the hairdresser was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in June 2023. She had a hysterectomy followed by chemoradiotherapy. Despite intensive treatment, a recurrence of her cancer was diagnosed in early 2025. The mother of two now has stage 4 cancer meaning that it is treatable, to an extent, but not curable. She has asked doctors about her prognosis but hasn't been given an exact answer. 'They said: 'Years, but short years.' I know statistically it's kind of five years' time from when you were diagnosed. There are some women who got six, seven, eight years. I'm just determined to get longer again. There's nothing I won't try, there's nowhere I won't go,' she says. She has been looking into clinical trials in the US. For now she is still receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy in Dublin. She said her pain and symptoms have improved, so she is hopeful for good news at her next scan. She says she is open with her daughters about her illness but tries to protect them as much as possible. Her oldest daughter, Quin, will often ask: 'Will this medicine work?' to which she will reply: 'Hopefully, I'm really, really trying.' 'I'll never say: 'Yeah, I'll be okay,' because I don't know if I'll be okay.' I wasn't dragged through a trial, thank God ... but these court cases shouldn't be happening in the first place — Leona Macken Her daughters cried when they found out she was going to lose her hair, so she tried to make the experience positive for them. 'I let them cut it and I let them shave it. I was just thinking, if they come home from school some day and I'm sitting here with no hair, it would be such a shock to them. 'So, we tried to make it fun. We were crying, they were crying, we were hugging, we were laughing, but we tried to make it as fun as possible. 'They each did a plait and cut the plait out, and they kept a plait.' Her family and the wider community have been a big support since her diagnosis and 'keep me going'. Leona would 'love to sit down with the Minister for Health, woman to woman'. Her solicitor Cian O'Carroll has contacted the office of the Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill , in a bid to set up a meeting. 'I would love to just sit down with her and just speak to her, woman to woman, let her see that I'm not a statistic, I'm a person, and there's so many more of me,' says Leona. 'It's people's lives – mammies, daughters, sisters are being ripped from their families, and the devastation that is left is massive. 'The way I look at it is: I feel like I won't know any different, I'll be gone. My kids and my husband and my family will never be the same again. I'm not the only one, and I really want to stress that, because even though I'm talking about my story, it's not just my story.' Leona Macken. Photograph: Alan Betson Speaking to RTÉ radio during the week, the Minister apologised to Leona and said women should not have to fight for access to their medical history. Leona says she is aware of a number of other women who are in a similar position to her but not doing as well, so she feels compelled to speak out. She wants to 'stop another family from going through this' but fears she won't be the last person affected by misreading of smears. [ Woman who received HSE apology over cancer diagnosis failings encourages women to get a smear test Opens in new window ] Despite her faith being shaken in the system, she believes women should be offered smears on a more regular basis. 'It doesn't hurt. It takes minutes. It could prolong your life,' she says. She says her two daughters will '100 per cent' get the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV), viruses that can cause cancer, and smear tests when they are older. She says questions remain as to how her smear tests were incorrectly read, but she has 'let go' of the initial anger she felt. 'I was angry at the start, but I had to let go of the anger because it was not doing any good, and it was kind of ruining the happiness of now,' she says. 'I'm not angry any more, I'm more worried. I'm just worried about my kids now, and other women going through this. 'I just want something positive to come from this. I don't want this to be a negative thing. I know it's a horror story, and I know people are horrified. They're only hearing about it now; we've been dealing with this for two years. 'So, for me now, I've let go of the anger and think: These the cards I've been dealt with, what can I do with it? What good can come of this?' That's where I'm at now.' On Tuesday, an apology was read in the High Court as she settled her action against the HSE. She told The Irish Times that while the apology cannot change what happened to her, it was still 'a big deal for me'. 'I felt like it just validated everything I'm saying,' she says. 'I know that changes nothing, but hopefully, going forward, it'll change something. 'I mean, there's baby steps being taken. I wasn't dragged through a trial, thank God ... but these court cases shouldn't be happening in the first place.' The letter of apology from the chief executive of the National Screening Service, Fiona Murphy, stated, on behalf of the service and the HSE, that it wished to apologise to Leona and her family 'for the failings that have occurred and led to your diagnosis'. 'I wish to express our deep regret to you and your family and acknowledge the many challenges that you have faced as a result of your diagnosis.'
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Irish Examiner view: Disturbing revelations by RTÉ Investigates about nursing homes
The revelations in the RTÉ Investigates programme about the standard of care in some private nursing homes were deeply disturbing. Readers may be aware of some of the cases of neglect cited in those investigations, of vulnerable elderly people being abandoned or ignored, left at risk of dangerous falls, or in some cases left in unchanged incontinence pads. Little wonder that David Robinson, a consultant geriatrician at St James's Hospital in Dublin, described the situation as such : 'It's abuse — there's no other word for it.' He is absolutely correct. It would be grimly fascinating to hear someone make a counter-argument that the treatment shown somehow does not constitute abuse. It is no slight on the journalists involved, however, to say that while these specific instances are shocking, they are hardly surprising. On a regular basis, we are reminded that whether it is young children in creches, teens reported as missing from Tusla care, and now the abuse of the elderly, our citizens are regularly betrayed by the systems and structures set up to care for them. In the specific area of elder care, older readers may remember other shocking revelations 20 years ago in the case of the Leas Cross nursing home, revelations which led to calls for legislation and enforcement to ensure that never happened again. Judging by this week's revelations, nothing has changed, That is not the only question facing the State. The bland apologies of the corporate owners of the homes are as meaningless as they are predictable, but it has emerged that Hiqa inspected the homes concerned repeatedly in recent years — with the most recent inspection of one home finding that the institution was 'short-staffed', with some residents who were at a high risk of malnutrition. It seems surprising that swifter action was not taken in this particular instance. Then again, the impending excavation of the Tuam babies' burial ground this week reminds us that the State can fail its citizens no matter what age they are. Shameful obstruction of Leona Macken Earlier this week, the HSE apologised to Leona Macken in court over 'failings' which occurred in caring for her. Ms Macken and her husband Alan had taken an action against the HSE, and the court heard evidence which indicated that her 2016 and 2020 smear tests by Quest Diagnostics should not have been reported as negative. The court concluded that the delay in identifying pre-cancerous abnormalities led to her cancer diagnosis. A mother of two young daughters, she now has incurable metastatic cancer. This is clearly a nightmare for the Macken family, and huge credit is due to Leona Macken for her bravery — not only in pursuing this action, but in advocating strongly that other women go for smear tests. She has pointed out in interviews that while those tests did not work for her, they can work for other people. Minister for health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill also apologised to Ms Macken this week, and added: 'She should not have had to fight for her records. 'They need a resolution to their case, and they do not need additional stress through going through the court process,' she said. This was a reference to Ms Macken having to fight for an audit of her records, something which — as pointed out by the minister — was bound to cause additional stress at a severely testing time for the family. This unwillingness to co-operate with individuals seeking answers has uncomfortable echoes in a case which was in the headlines last week. The O'Farrell family, of Monaghan, spent almost 15 years seeking information from several State agencies about the man who killed their son and brother Shane in a hit-and-run incident, only to be stonewalled by many of those agencies. This form of reflexive obstruction is shameful and seems driven by an overwhelming urge to protect institutions at all costs, irrespective of the stress that that puts on individuals. Ms Macken's grace and dignity this week, and her attitude, should embarrass those who placed that stress on her. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here True community pub in Kerry The story coming out of deepest south Kerry has something of the Ealing comedies about it. A community is downhearted by the prospect of losing its pub, only to rally to the cause and buy it. Things looked grim when Humphrey Ó Conchuir and Noreen Uí Chonchuir, towners of the Inny Tavern (Tábhairne na hÚine) in Dromaid, south Kerry, decided to retire. A lack of prospective buyers seemed to doom the establishment to dereliction but Forbairt na Dromoda Teo — the local community social enterprise organisation — stepped in. It raised enough funds for a deposit, as well as securing a bank loan for the property. When there was a shortfall, they launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has generated almost €107,500 to date. Some of that support has come from ex-pats, but some has also come from people who have seen similar facilities disappear in their own part of Ireland and who don't want the same to happen elsewhere. Not every community has that kind of support — or an organisation with the drive of Forbairt na Dromoda Teo — but it is good to see a rural area make a stand against decline and depopulation. Read More Irish Examiner view: Scene of shame at Tuam may give closure
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Cork woman with stage 4 cervical cancer urges women to continue screening and get vaccinated
A Cork woman with stage 4 cervical cancer, following two misdiagnosed smear tests, says she still urges women to attend regular screenings and get vaccinated. Mother-of-two Leona Macken received an apology from the HSE at the High Court on Tuesday after two of her smear tests — first in 2016 and again in 2020 — were misread. The 38-year-old hairdresser said she has since been overwhelmed with messages of support from the public, and that the apology meant 'the world' to her. She told the Irish Examiner: 'I still want women and young girls to get their vaccinations and to have their smears done. 'I paid privately for my first smear at 21 years old. I was always conscious of this'. She said taking the case to the High Court was about more than her personal experience — it was to highlight that the national cervical screening programme is 'not working properly' and must be 'properly examined.' 'This happened to me two years after Vicky Phelan, this is not ok, things need to be properly examined, how did this happen again?'. Leona Macken settled her legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Following the High Court apology on Wednesday, Ms Macken appeared on Newstalk Breakfast and RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne before heading to hospital for chemotherapy. 'They (the HSE) has publicly said they have failed me, there were failures in the system that led to my stage 4 diagnosis' she said. 'I read the apology before it was read in court, and I was really happy with that. But I know it's not easy to get an apology and it's rare and that was really so important to me and my husband and our children and our family'. Ms Macken has been documenting her journey on social media in recent months. 'Having a smear is so important' she said. 'I get so many messages from women telling me they had a smear and are now having a biopsy or laser treatment because they have abnormal cells. 'I wish I had that opportunity' she continued. 'But I didn't, and instead I discovered I was at stage 1, then stage 3 and now stage 4. 'My abnormal cells were missed and I missed a chance to treat them. I really wish I had that chance to have stopped it in its tracks that's why I say to people, get your smear done." She added: 'I will make sure my daughters get their vaccines, I am speaking for them and for the other women who are going to be possibly missed in the system too. 'I trusted the system, but it let me down. Someone needs to investigate why it's going wrong'. Leona Macken and her husband Alan settled their legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Medical negligence solicitor Cian O'Donnell, who has represented several women affected by screening failures, supported her call. 'Leona Macken is right to encourage people to use the system, because screening does work. 'It didn't work for her, unfortunately, but Leona is clear in her message to other women and that is to engage with regular screenings and look after your health." He added: "The Minister for Health and the HSE and those in charge need to be honest with themselves and not to have this blind insistence that this programme is working. 'Not a single patient in the cervical screening programme has been investigated – Vicky Pelan's screen was never investigated. 'We need to look at the individual screeners and follow the patterns and audits must be done, but that has not happened and that is not norm in laboratories.'
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Woman who received HSE apology over cancer diagnosis failings encourages women to get a smear test
Leona Macken, the 38-year-old woman with incurable cervical cancer who received an apology in court on Tuesday from the HSE over 'failings' that occurred in two smear tests which led to her diagnosis, has said she would still encourage women to get a smear test and she would have her daughters vaccinated. However, Ms Macken said she felt there was 'something wrong' with the cervical screening programme that needed to be identified and addressed. Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast and then RTÉ radio's Today with Claire Byrne show, Ms Macken said she had been 'overwhelmed' by the support she has received from the community. Ms Macken said the HSE apology in court meant 'a huge amount' to her. 'We kind of didn't know whether we were going to get it, and there's been a lot of women in my position that didn't get that, so it is something that I don't take for granted,' she told Newstalk Breakfast. READ MORE The mother of two girls, aged five and eight, told Today with Claire Byrne that she had trusted the system, but just because it had failed her did not mean that it would not work for others. 'I would never tell someone to not get a smear. It didn't work for me, it doesn't mean it's not gonna work for you. 'I have two little girls, they'll be definitely getting the vaccinations. I don't want people to take from this that I'm saying smears don't work, it's just they need to be checked more. Something isn't working somewhere and that's what we need to find out.' Ms Macken had done 'everything right' and had even paid for smears herself having seen the experience of Jade Goody. Despite two clear smears she knew something was wrong, she explained. Having gone through two pregnancies she thought perhaps it was just her body changing or maybe polycystic ovaries, endometriosis or perimenopause. Blood tests and ultrasound scans were clear. [ My smear test dilemma: How do I confess that this is my first one, at the age of 41? Opens in new window ] 'I just did not think cancer at all because I knew I'd been so careful and I also knew it was a slow progressing cancer, so if there was something there I would have had abnormalities at some stage.' Ms Macken's current diagnosis of stage 4 cancer means 'it's treatable, to a certain extent, but it's not curable'. 'Being told you have stage 4 cancer, after being through everything else, and knowing this could have been avoided, it was gut-wrenching. I felt so hard done by, I'd done everything I could do. How did I get to this point?' Ms Macken said, adding that telling her family had been 'horrific'. Ms Macken is now undergoing quadruple therapy. 'At this point I'm just still not giving in. I want to be the one to do it. I have two little girls growing up now and I'm worried about them. What's going to happen, you know? It's not good enough what's happening. I shouldn't be going through this today. I shouldn't be living this today,' she said. Ms Macken welcomed the apology from the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and said she would love to meet the Minister. 'I'm a very open person and I'm very open to a chat. They need to see these people in real life and see what they're going through, that they're not just a cancer, there's stories behind these people,' she said. Ms Macken said she would not give up. 'I have too much to live for. It's such a beautiful life. I have two beautiful children. I have an amazing family and a huge support behind me. In every other aspect of my life, I've always said I'm so lucky. I have the most beautiful life and I just don't want to leave it,' she said. On Morning Ireland, the Minister for Health offered her personal apology to Ms Macken and said that women should not have to fight for access to their medical history. 'There should be open disclosure and that's very, very clear and I want to offer my apology too in this case because what you have here is a 38-year-old woman who has been impacted in this way and so have her family and that is so, so important,' Ms Carroll MacNeill said. She said that the screening programme would 'always have some limitations' but what had happened to Ms Macken should not have happened. 'What we want is people in medical negligence cases to have absolutely timely open disclosure, they need a resolution to their case and they do not need additional stress going through the court process,' Ms Carroll MacNeill said. 'Obviously the State needs to manage it to a certain extent in terms of the broader liability, but these are very, very clear cases and it is really important that people are treated and not provided additional stress and additional hurt through a court process. 'There is a very different way that we need to approach medical negligence cases and how they're treated, and that is one of the most important things that I will be trying to address during the period that I am Minister for Health.'
