Clare hotels to support awareness initiative to mark World Pancreatic Cancer Day

A NUMBER of Clare hotels are to support a special initiative which has been launched to mark World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

The families of loved ones who have died from the disease are seeking to create awareness of the disease and the devastation it can cause.

The 5 in 6 campaign aims to spotlight one of the world’s deadliest cancers, which kills five in every six people diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas, 50% within the first year.

It’s a stark statistic but one which hotelier, Niall Rochford hopes will bring home to people the need for greater visibility and understanding of pancreatic cancer and its symptoms.

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When Niall’s wife Stella was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022, he could never have imagined the sudden and devastating impact the disease would have on his family.

By the time Stella received her diagnosis, the cancer was already at an advanced stage, and she died just eight weeks later, leaving Niall and their three children to mourn the untimely loss of a beloved wife and mum.

“I want to save as many families as possible from the trauma and devastation we have experienced and that starts with awareness of this deadly disease that ruins so many lives,” said Niall who is general manager of Ashford Castle.

The hotelier has joined forces with Pancreatic Cancer Ireland, survivors of pancreatic cancer and medical experts to raise awareness of the disease so that any chance of increased early detection can lead to better outcomes for other families and their loved ones. 

With purple the symbol of the pancreatic cancer awareness cause, Niall thanked his industry colleagues who didn’t hesitate in lending their support to the campaign, joining Ashford Castle and The Lodge at Ashford Castle by lighting up their hotels in purple, this Thursday, November 16, to mark Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day.

The Hotels which are taking part are: 

*Trump Doonbeg, Clare
*Dromoland Castle, Clare
*Adare Manor, Limerick,
*Cashel Palace, Tipperary
*Killarney Park Hotel, Kerry
*Hayfield Manor, Cork
*The K Club, Kildare
*The Merrion Hotel, Dublin

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Pancreatic cancer is not one of the more commonly diagnosed cancers but unfortunately it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. 

While people may have few symptoms in the early stages of a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, Professor Aisling Barry, Chair of Radiation Oncology at University College Cork suggests that if anyone experiences one or more of six key symptoms to consider seeking further medical care.

The six are:

*Tummy pain or back pain
*Digestive problems: poor appetite, indigestion, nausea
*Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) and/or itchiness
*Noticeable change in bowel habits (light-coloured or floating stools)
*New diagnosis of diabetes or diabetes that’s getting harder to control
*Unexplained weight loss

Professor Barry says: “While of course these symptoms in isolation may have other causes, it’s important that people are alerted to their potential association with pancreatic cancer, particularly if there is a family history of the disease. While many of the symptoms might only develop as the disease progresses,  people can empower themselves to seek further medical input by being aware of their family medical history and by knowing these potential symptoms.”