Gold Ribbon Conversations

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Sandra Mangan joins us to talk about her 5 year old son Jude's diagnosis. Jude was born with ACC Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum. And then in December 2023 he was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma a rare type of cancer that develops in the soft tissue. As a family they had to lean on supports f...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. In our new episode of Gold Ribbon Conversations we talk about the need for platelet donors and how transformative a donation can be for a person fighting cancer with Ger O'Neill a platelet donor for over 20 years and Jo Lawlor National Apheresis Recruitment Manager for the Irish Blood Transfusion Servi...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. In this episode we sit down with Doireann Cassidy, her son Harry was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in 2022 when he was 6. Harry has the NF1 gene. Harry’s father and grandfather have it so the family would have looked out for lumps on the body but to date everyone has been well so there wasn’t too much con...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. This week we meet 23 year old Ashleigh Kiernan who works at Barretstown, is starting her masters in September, and fought leukaemia at just 7 years old.   She remembers quite a lot from treatment including her parents telling her and the fears she had.   But she didn't let anything stop her l...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. May is brain tumour awareness month. Brain tumours are the second most common cause of cancer in children in Ireland. Always speak to your GP about any unusual signs and symptoms your child is experiencing. We are joined by Melanie O'Sullivan mum to Rio who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2024. And is d...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. This episode discusses the loss of a child to cancer. While this conversation is essential for families who have experienced this grief, it may be understandably upsetting and so we encourage you to protect your emotional wellbeing.  Just 18 days after being diagnosed with a malignant rhabdoid tumor, baby W...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. This episode marks Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Awareness Week. To share his story and raise awareness we are joined by Personal Trainer, Cancer survivor and right arm amputee Harry Greaney - and incredible young man from Galway who was diagnosed with a type of sarcoma in his arm when he was 19. ...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. March is Kidney Cancer Awareness Month. An average of 10 children are diagnosed with kidney cancer in Ireland each year. Over 90% of these cases are Wilm's tumour which is what we are here to talk about today with my guest Kevin Price.  Kevin’s 7 year old daughter Hayleigh was diagnosed with bilateral Wilm'...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Joining us this week is Emma Cowley who ten years ago at 22 was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. As a young adult survivor we talk about her experience and the impact her cancer had on her approach to life, her identity, her career now, fertility and the improvements that could be made to better support young a...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. We are joined by Caroline Murphy as she shares her daughter Amelias story of childhood cancer.  Last June Amelia who is 9 was diagnosed with Leukemia and has just started maintenance phase of treatment.  Here we talk about those early signs and symptoms and the pace that life moves at once diagnosed. B...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. In this week’s episode we talk to special education teacher Angela Cummins . While Angela is well known for her work in the area of Special Education through parent and teacher courses, events and workshops, she also has been a mother in the fight against childhood cancer.  As a primary school teacher curre...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. To begin our 2026 season of Gold Ribbon conversations we are joined by Aileen O’Dwyer, a parent of a survivor and a researcher into childhood and adolescent cancer in Ulster University.  In 2022, Aileen's daughter Phoebe was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma at 15. At the time, Aileen was studying psycho...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. For our final episode of 2025, we are joined by Lawrence Kiernan whose 18 month old son LJ became unwell and was taken to hospital on Christmas eve 2 years ago. That Christmas, LJ was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. Thankfully through diagnosis, ICU, surgery, chemo, life support and 18 months of treatment, LJ now...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. This episode discusses the loss of a child to cancer. While this conversation is essential for families who have experienced this grief, it may be understandably upsetting and so we encourage you to protect your emotional wellbeing.  You’ll find more information on Childhood Cancer Ireland’s bereavement sup...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Joining me today is Ciara, a young woman diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma last year when she was 23. Ciara finished her treatment just over 6 months ago and the road ahead is bright.  We talk about how important it is to react when we notice something different in our bodies. Ciara had no symptoms when she...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Today we are joined by parents Jonny and Laura. Their daughter Saoirse Fearon was recently diagnosed with Adrenocortical carcinoma when she was 3 after they shared some concerns with a public health nurse visiting her new baby brother.    It’s an extremely rare cancer, 1 in every 6 million people in th...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Joining me this week is Professor Jonathan Bond, a UCD Professor of Paediatric Molecular Haemato-Oncology and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at Children's Health Ireland Crumlin. Throughout his career Jonathon has seen huge advances through research. He attended the Institute of Child Health in the...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. In this episode I’m joined by Neil Hoey, an irish amputee footballer who shares his story of losing his leg to cancer to seeing how life’s challenges can open new doors, experiences and goals.  Neil is 25 and was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in childhood. Unfortunately treatment alone wasn’t going to save Ne...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. No family ever expects a Childhood Cancer diagnosis to arrive at their door - nor do they anticipate the reality of figuring out their family finances when one or all parents have to step away from paid employment. It’s a reality for the familys we support at Childhood Cancer Ireland which is why we are so proud...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Joining me in this episode is John Killilea, a childhood cancer survivor and now medical student.  John was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was 13 at the end of 1st year when he noticed subtle changes in his vision. His story started in the opticians but quickly took him to Beaumont for surgery, then...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. In this episode I’m joined by a Ella Farrell, a young woman who is beginning to reflect on the last year and how cancer interrupted her life without warning.  Ella is 21 and in December 2023 when she was in her final semester of Galway University she began to have headaches. Ella received a lot of reassuran...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. This episode discusses the loss of a child to cancer. While this conversation is essential for families who have experienced this grief, it may be understandably upsetting and so we encourage you to protect your emotional wellbeing.  You’ll find more information on Childhood Cancer Ireland’s bereavement sup...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. Mom to triplet boys Lindsay Harrison joins me in this episode as she shares her son Joshua’s story of Ewings Sarcoma.  Joshua and his brothers were all born prematurely, Joshua the smallest of them all.  He has had to fight his whole life to be here and while his parents fought along side him with diff...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. We are joined today by a son and dad team, Rob and Conor Crabbe. Conor is 13 and was diagnosed with ALL when he was 10 and we talk about looking forward to hopefully finishing treatment this summer, about how hard it's been to miss school, time with friends and never knowing when a temperature might hit.  C...

Gold Ribbon Conversations - The podcast that supports those fighting Childhood Cancer. May is Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Brain tumours are the second most common cause of cancer in children in Ireland. Always speak to your GP about any unusual signs and symptoms your child is experiencing. This episode discusses the loss of a child to cancer. While this conversation is essential for families wh...