The Marie Keating Foundation will arrive in Mill Street Day Centre today at 7:30pm, Boots Pharmacy, Patrick Street on October 14th, Forristals Pharmacy, Pearse Street, Clonakilty on October 15th and in McSweeney’s Pharmacy, Midleton on October 22nd.
The Marie Keating Foundation has three purpose built mobile units which travel in the Eastern, Western and Southern regions of Ireland. There is a registered Nurse on board who provides cancer information and awareness to the general public free of charge. The units will have information on board in order to educate, show and highlight the importance of being aware of your body.
More than 3,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland each year and it is the most common cancer among women. Screening, early detection and improvements in treatments mean more women are now surviving the disease. Some risk factors, such as being a woman, or having a family history of the disease are outside women’s control, but others factors can be significantly reduced through simple lifestyle changes that every woman can make.
“As well as raising awareness of breast cancer the Marie Keating Foundation is keen to educate and inform women on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.” said Lillian McGovern, Chief Executive of the Marie Keating Foundation. She continued, “It is estimated that over 20% of cases can be attributed to factors such as being overweight or inactive, therefore a couple of hours brisk exercise each week can reduce the risk.”
The Marie Keating Foundation was established in 1998 following the death of Marie Keating, mother of Irish pop star Ronan Keating. Since then, the Keating Family has campaigned to provide women and their families with the necessary information to prevent breast cancer or detect it at its earliest stages, which was until now, the Marie Keating Foundation’s primary purpose. Every year during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Foundation organises a series of fundraisers and events aimed at educating the public and promoting the benefits of early detection of breast cancer.