The Ladies Gaelic Football Association All-Star awards evening was held last Saturday night (November 9th), but amidst all the fun, laughter and proud cheering, there was one lady’s story that stood out.
Meet Clare Clarke. Clare was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago and at the LGFA awards, she joined Marty Morrissey on stage to tell her story – leaving a hushed silence and barely a dry eye in the house in her wake.
Clare has been fighting the disease with bravery and determination and explained how she had been given the all clear only to then be diagnosed with secondary cancer. As she told the packed crowd at the City West Hotel in Dublin, she then had the job of trying to tell her children the news. 
“A year and a half ago it came back in my spine and since then, it’s gone to my liver and my lungs in the last eight weeks,” she explained. “I have chemotherapy every week. There’s good days and bad days. Some days you can’t get out of bed, you’re not well, you’re tired and then other days you’re sitting on the stage with Marty Morrissey having a great time!” she laughed.
“I was doing okay before that with the bone cancer. I was pretty optimistic and then it went to my liver so that wasn’t great. About two months ago I just couldn’t breathe. Then we found it had gone to my lungs and the doctor said to me that all I was looking at was a few weeks, he later told me he really meant to say days.
“Now, I’m taking it day to day and week to week. You have to be realistic but you have to be optimistic. I try not to dwell on it too much. You’re wasting the time you have worrying about the time you don’t have. I don’t expect to be cured of cancer but I hope to be able to live with it for many years.
“I am just a normal person. I don’t have the words or the vocabulary for what is happening myself, how do I explain this to my children in a vocabulary that they will understand and allow them to answer any questions they are asked.”
Indeed, it was as she searched for some form of support to help her children, she realized that there was none available. Thus, she began to research how she could fill this gap and through the Irish Cancer Society was introduced to the concept of CLIMB (Children’s Lives Include Moments of Bravery).
Since then, she has linked up with the LGFA, who she has been working with for 11 years, and they have worked together in order to raise funds so that the CLIMB programme came be rolled out through all cancer care centre in Ireland with the support of the Irish Cancer Society.
The CLIMB programme is for children aged between five and 12 who are experiencing the impact of a loved one’s cancer diagnosis. Run over the course of six weeks, CLIMB is in interactive and enjoyable experience to help children deal with their feelings and gain a better understanding of cancer. 
Climb4Clare fundraising has been taking place across the country for the past three months with Ladies Gaelic Football clubs and counties across the country holding fundraising events throughout the country in order to raise money for this great cause. The ladies county teams of Monaghan, Galway and Mayo recently gathered together and climbed Croagh Patrick to help raise money, while Tyrone ladies have held several events in aid of the cause as have Wexford, Louth and numerous club teams.
This weekend the good work continues as Ballyboden St. Enda’s from Dublin host a walk in aid of Climb4Clare this Sunday from 12pm leaving the Ballyboden St. Enda’s club and finishing at the Hell Fire Club.
More information can be found on her Facebook page and online donations to this cause can also be made. All funds raised will go directly into the programme and to date, 13 new centres have already been announced for January 2015.
Pics and Video via YouTube/by Jerome Quinn for LadiesFootballTV.
