Reflection support available for Tipperary cancer survivors and their families

New affirmation cards have been launched in Clonmel to help cancer survivors and their families.
In Ireland, someone is diagnosed with cancer every 10 minutes.

With early detection and better treatment, the good news is that more and more people can and in fact do recover and go on to live full lives.
For many, an important part of their recovery is the help and support they receive from cancer support groups and other cancer survivors.

The launch of positive reflection cards for cancer survivors took place at Clonmel Aftercare Relaxation and Education (CARE) centre.

SURVIVORS
This beautiful deck of 32 cards is designed especially for survivors and their families – each card with a piece of wisdom, a quote from someone who has been there to help them in their recovery. Some of them speak of the importance of relationships “I think positively and surround myself with positive people,” was one message.
Another reads “I walk the mountain and appreciate the trees, now I even hug them.” You can pick a card as a thought for the day or the week.
The cards are the creative output of an eight-month project funded by Sláintecare Healthy Communities programme.

CARE
The project was led by Dr Marie Walsh - a lecturer and researcher from the Digital Arts & Media Department who is based on the Clonmel Campus of the Technological University of the Shannon.
The idea for this project came from the work of Dr Marie Walsh. For her doctoral research in 2020, she studied how Irish female cancer survivors experience Post Traumatic Growth (PTG).

One of the questions she asked each of the 67 women was “What is the best advice you would give someone if they were diagnosed with cancer?”
The participants shared fabulous pieces of wisdom about what helped them recover.
Fast forward to 2023 when the Local Area Development Officer for Clonmel, Stephanie O’Callaghan, kindly agreed to fund the project as part of the Sláintecare Healthy Communities programme.

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
Marie met with groups from CARE Clonmel and Circle of Friends in Tipperary Town to share over 100 quotes/words of wisdom from the research.

They were asked to choose the ones that meant the most to them and to add new ones. Then Eddie Evergreen and David Power - two students from TUS Clonmel took on the task of illustrating the quotes guided by TUS Lecturer and visual artist Craig Mullins.
The cards are available at the CARE centre in Clonmel and the Circle of Friends cancer support centre in Tipperary Town.