‘Make the right choices, because life is priceless’

Tributes have poured in for a terminally ill young Bettystown woman who lost her battle to cervical cancer this morning.

Eileen Rushe (35) who was diagnosed with stage-three cancer in December 2018 campaigned tirelessly in favour of the HPV vaccine.

Earlier this year, management at Louth County Hospital, Dundalk, apologised to Eileen over their failure to properly investigate and treat her condition.

She settled her case against the Health Service Executive in March for an undisclosed sum, after the High Court heard her diagnosis could have been given a year earlier, meaning her cervical cancer could have been cured.

Eileen revealed that she spent some of the money on buying the council house she and her son Seamus (14) have shared for more than a decade. Sadly, Seamus’s passed away a few years ago.

In a social media post The Irish Cancer Society said:

"Eileen was a truly wonderful person who left a profound impression on all who had the privilege to know or deal with her, and her enduring legacy will be the many people her words helped influence to protect themselves and their loved ones against avoidable cancer diagnoses in future.

Founder of the Drogheda Dolls community group that Eileen posted on regularly, Natalie Kelly said: "Her beauty shone, it radiated from her insides out and you couldn’t help but love her the minute you met her.

"She handled her illness with this same humour and grace . She gave selflessly . She didn’t want anyone else to suffer as she had . She so selflessly and tirelessly, right to the end of her life."

A post on RIP.IE says that Eileen passed away "peacefully at St. Francis Hospice, Blanchardstown surrounded by her loving family age 35 years, after fighting her illness with great dignity and courage.

"Devoted and loving mam to Seamus and much loved daughter of Jim and Mary, loving sister to Siobháin, Darragh, Eoin and Terry. Very sadly missed by her heartbroken son, Dad, Mam, sisters and brothers, sister in law Laura, brothers in law Seán and Stephen, niece Saoirse, nephews James her God-Son Conán and predeceased by her infant niece Kitty, her special and devoted friend Elaine, loving aunts, uncles and many remarkable cousins."

Eileen's funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.

After initially successful treatment Eileen received an all clear diagnosis in June 2019, but in August 2020 she learned the devastating news that her cancer had returned, having spread to her lungs and lymph nodes and was now incurable.

She had recently discovered that the cancer has also spread to her spine and brain and had been undergoing further radiotherapy, she had hoped to begin treatment with the new drug Pembro, a new and transformative cancer drug.

The mum of one who had been living in Termonfeckin, Co Louth in recent years bravely documented her journey with the illness in a candid blog called “Cancer is a B*itch, outlining her treatment and experience since discovering the devastating news.

Ms. Rushe previously told of how she wanted to use her voice to raise awareness and to prevent other families from suffering. She said at the time:

“I wanted to raise awareness, particularly at the moment with different scandals in the headlines surrounding Cervical Check.

"It's important that women try to remain trustful of the system even though it's not necessarily working as it should. I've had hundreds of messages from women saying that sharing my story has made them book a smear test.

“I've had mothers tell me that they were at a crossroads with the HPV vaccine, and I helped them make the decision. If you get a smear test and have abnormal cells and they are treated, you might not get cancer. It's a preventative step and women need to stay with it.”

She urged parents to sign their children up for the HPV vaccine to ensure they don’t face the same uncertain future as she is:

“I just think that if it existed when I was a teenager, I wouldn’t be dying now, and my son wouldn’t be facing a future as an orphan. And that’s the clearest message I can give.

“Make the right choices, because life is priceless.”