Brave Laytown breast cancer survivor to celebrate one year post treatment with charity swim

A Laytown breast cancer survivor says taking part in this Sunday’s “Dip in Pink” Swim on Bettystown beach will be "a full circle moment” celebrating almost one year to the day since finishing treatment.

Emma Berigan was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease in February 2022 when she was just 43 years old.

After being rushed in for surgery to remove the cancer followed by a gruelling 20 weeks of chemotherapy and a further five weeks of radiotherapy, Emma eventually got the all clear and is in remission.

The mum of two is now looking forward to the upcoming swim for the National Breast Cancer Ireland Research Institute this weekend. The annual event was started by Bettystown woman, Jean Strong who told how sea swimming “saved her life” after battling her own cancer.

“This time last year I would have never believed I’d be able to do anything like this.” said Emma.

"Two weeks ago I did the Great Pink Run in Leopardstown and I ran the 5km and that was another little goal I had set for myself, I am just so grateful to be able to do these things,” she added.

"This week last year I finished my treatment so when I was it was coming up, I said to my friends we have to do this, it is like a little anniversary getting into the cold water."

Emma says she found a lump "by chance” and went to her GP, what followed was a rollercoaster year as she explains:

"I found a lump back in October 2021, I went to my GP and then I had to get a mammogram done. They told me on the 1st of February that it was cancer and I had to go in for surgery on the 4th. I had to get a partial mastectomy and they removed five of my lymph nodes as well and that’s how they found that it had spread to one of the five.

"I had my surgery in Beaumont but I chose to have my treatment in the oncology unit in Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda and they were amazing. At the time with covid being so strong I couldn’t have anybody in with me when I was going in for my treatment but the nurses there are like angels on earth because I never felt I was on my own.

“In March, I had to do 20 weeks of chemotherapy after that I had to do five weeks of radiotherapy as well and that brought me up until October so that pretty much took me up to a full year of treatment. I lost my hair, eyelashes, nails it was horrific.

The Laytown woman says her initial reaction after being diagnosed with the disease was “pure fear,” she added:

“My husband and I have two children, It was absolute fear, the fear of what’s gong to happen to me, am I going to survive, will I get through it, will it come back, it is just that constant fear."

After being told losing her hair was a certainty, Emma decided to take back some of her power and take action into her own hands.

"I found losing my hair was the toughest thing out of everything I went through because as a woman because it’s a part of your identity,” she said. "They had told me from the beginning your hair is going to fall out so come the week I was due to start my treatment I actually shaved it myself because it was probably the only thing that I could control, I thought I’m going to take my hair before cancer takes it for me.”

The cancer survivor urges both men and woman to check themselves on a regular basis.

"It’s so important for people to just check themselves. They say on the first day of every month you should check yourself and it is something I never did, I just happened to randomly find the lump there. I knew straight away what it was, I knew it didn’t feel right.”

Emma says having her life hang in the balance has changed her outlook on life.

“I see everything differently now, I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore,” she said. "Family and friends mean so much more to me, you just really appreciate everything you have in way you didn’t before.

"Even being able to do things like this swim on Sunday, it is going to be freezing but just to know that I could do it because this time last year I would have never believed I’d be able to do anything like this.

"Thankfully now I’m doing really well. I’m still getting checked, I had tests done in July and everything is still OK thank god. So now I’m just getting my life back on track.

“If anyone is in a similar situation, I ‘d say Look after yourself, stay strong and there is light at the end of the tunnel and you will one hundred percent get through it.”

Jean Strong’s “Swim/Dip in Pink” takes place this Sunday October 22nd at 1pm on Bettystown Beach. All proceeds raised will go to National Breast Cancer Ireland Research Institute.