'I had to freeze my eggs at 15 because of cancer'

When she visited her GP, she was prescribed an antibiotic, but a few days later, the lump had grown in size. She returned to the GP with her mother and was referred to Portlaoise Hospital.

“In the hospital, I had blood tests and an ultrasound, and then they said that they were going to keep me overnight. At this stage, I still thought there was nothing wrong with me. A few days later, I had a CT scan in the hospital, and that’s when they found out it was cancer,” she says.

Deegan was transported to Crumlin Children’s Hospital by ambulance, where she had a biopsy. She still didn’t know it was cancer. “My mother was trying to find the right time to tell me,” she says.

However, when a team of specialists visited her room and began talking about wigs and chemotherapy, she says her heart dropped. “When they left the room, I was in shock. I didn’t know anything about what would happen next.”

She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system. But before she could begin her chemotherapy treatment, she was encouraged to freeze her eggs. Chemotherapy can affect a woman’s fertility, so her doctor recommended she visit the Merrion Fertility Clinic, where she could access specialist treatment at the Irish Cancer Society-funded Childhood Cancer Fertility Project.

Amy Nolan, director of clinical affairs at the Irish Cancer Society, says this project is just one of many funded by the organisation.

“The idea is that children will have their fertility assessed to see if they need further intervention, whether that’s egg preservation or sperm banking,” she says. “The children need to be under the age of 18, but post-pubescent.

“It preserves hope in a different way for them, that in time, they may have their own families. We also hear from parents that while the focus is certainly on their child and their child getting better, having this procedure done around the time of their treatment makes such a difference.”

Egg-freezing procedure

Deegan “didn’t think much” about undergoing treatment to freeze her eggs. “I just thought, ‘This is something I have to do’. It was intense, but it was amazing that I could do it,” she says, adding that her mother helped with the daily hormone injections.

As soon as the egg-freezing procedure was complete, she began her six-month chemotherapy treatment.

“I started on April 2021. The first week I had chemo for five days straight, and then I got a two-day break. Then I was back up again for two days, with a five-day break. That schedule repeated for the first half of the treatment, so it was very intense. I couldn’t do anything during that time,” she says.

At different stages during her treatment, she developed bone pain, particularly in her knees. She suffered badly from mouth ulcers and was exhausted all the time.

She also started losing her hair early on in her treatment.

“That was a big thing for me. I was nervous about that happening. At the start, it was the only thing I thought about. Maybe a week or two after starting my treatment, it was shedding a bit when brushing it. I ended up cutting my hair a bit shorter to make it a bit more manageable. By the end, I only had this small bit of hair, and it was ridiculous, but I just wanted to keep it for as long as I could,” she says.

Deegan responded well to the chemotherapy and didn’t require any radiation treatment after six months. By September 2021, her treatment had come to an end.

“The one thing that got me through it was thinking that once I got to September, everything would go back to the way it was before, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.”

Because of her cancer, Deegan skipped transition year and went straight into fifth year. However, she wasn’t able to start school until November as she was still feeling the after-effects of the intense treatment.

She returned to the clinic for another round of egg freezing in September 2024.

“I found the second time much tougher, physically and mentally. I had just started back in college, so it was already a busy time.

“I had to inject myself this time, as opposed to my mam doing it. I injected myself in the morning and the evening. My emotions were all over the place too.

“I remember the day of the egg retrieval well. I was very nervous this time around. It was very emotional.”

Though the past four years have been challenging, she wants to focus on the positives. “It doesn’t ever actually go back to how it was before. I feel like I’m a different version of myself, but a better version now. I’ve been through all of that. It’s made me who I am now,” she says.

Now 19, Deegan is studying English and geography at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. She looks forward to a year-long placement in Spain, starting in September, when she will teach English as a foreign language. She is also cancer-free.

Annual fundraising day

The Childhood Cancer Fertility Project is one of the many projects funded by the Irish Cancer Society, says Nolan.

As Daffodil Day approaches, she explains how vital this day is to the ICS.

“Daffodil Day is our biggest fundraising day throughout the year. This year, we have set a challenge for ourselves to reach €5.9m.

“We receive only 5% of our funding from the Government, so we have to work hard to fund all the services and supports we offer.”

From cancer research to art therapy for children who struggle to express their feelings, Nolan says ICS provides a wide range of services.

It has recently announced a lung health check programme. This mobile screening unit will be available in North Dublin and Louth and will provide a health check for people at risk of developing lung cancer.

“If lung cancer is caught early enough, the impact on the quality of life and the cost savings for the health system will be phenomenal,” she says.

“We estimate that this programme alone will save 137 lives,” says Nolan, reiterating how essential the ICS services are to patients.

*Each year, the Irish Cancer Society invests €4m in groundbreaking cancer research in more than 100 research projects. This investment is possible because of public donations.

*Daffodil Day is on Friday, March 28. To support, visit cancer.ie/daffodilday.