Latest news with #AllianceParty
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Cervical screening saved my life,' says MLA
An MLA has said it was "shocking and really terrifying" when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in November 2023. Michelle Guy, who was 44 at the time and experienced no symptoms, said the cancer was only caught because of cervical screening. "It terrifies me to think if I was blasé about going for screenings, what that outcome could have been; how more developed things might have been when I realised that there was a problem," she said. An average of 81 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer each year between 2017 and 2021, with about 20 deaths per year, according to the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, which hold the most recent statistics. The Alliance Party politician hopes to use her platform to encourage women to go for cervical screening. "I'm relieved to have went through that process, relieved that the screening system worked for me; that it did find that cancer, and it did find it early," she said. The mother-of-two said her diagnosis came as "a huge surprise" as her previous smear tests had always came back clear of abnormalities. But a routine smear test two years ago showed there was "something wrong" which needed further investigation. "To find myself in that position was initially unnerving," she said. "But I was realistic that most people, they go through this, everything's fine. "That's what the screening process is for, to identify things early." A couple of weeks after having a colposcopy, while sitting in her kitchen, she received a "terrifying" phone call from the hospital asking her to come in, but not to come alone. "When you hear, don't come on your own, you know there's something wrong," she said. She was told she had cervical cancer. It was caught "at an early stage", which she said was a "relief", but it still led to months of anxiety until she completed treatment. Her treatment was a hysterectomy which she had in January 2024, while still working as a councillor for Lisburn and Castlereagh Council. "We got a level of reassurance that the hysterectomy would be a cure - that was the language that my oncologist used - that they intended this to be a cure," she said. "There isn't 100% certainty until you've had the procedure and all the different tests are complete, so I was just really anxious and determined to get it over with. "You want that operation as soon as possible because nothing's getting better while you're waiting. "I was lucky that it was contained and localised in a way that going through that surgery, as dramatic and painful as that is, I was very cognizant that things might have been worse had that diagnosis not come as early as it did." Cervical screening, while not a diagnostic test, is for people without symptoms and aims to detect early changes which could go on to develop into cervical cancer if left untreated. In some cases, cancer may be found. In December 2023, Northern Ireland introduced primary HPV cervical screening, although this was after Ms Guy's diagnosis. It checks for an infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) - the cause of most cervical cancers. This newer HPV test is regarded as a better indicator than cytology of identifying who is a higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Through her diagnosis and treatment she continued to work in politics because, not only did she feel it was "vocational", it was also a "distraction". She said she had that "reflex to stay busy" and "wanted to get as far away from what I had been through as quickly as possible". "It's that sense of I was running away from it as opposed to necessarily processing it," she added. She said she also threw herself into experiences that she may not otherwise have done so, including replacing Sorcha Eastwood as the MLA for Lagan Valley just eight months after her diagnosis. Michelle understands that there is a lack of confidence around cervical screening, particularly after what happened in the Southern Trust when 17,500 women had to have their smear tests re-checked. "Of course [that] would shake anybody's confidence in our system here - that women were going forward for their smears, and they were being let down," she said. While she had kept her cervical cancer diagnosis private, she feels now is the right time to share her experience to "hopefully do some good" and encourage women to attend screenings. "Not going for it and then potentially facing a diagnosis that I had and potentially one that's much more serious - that you knew you might have been able to prevent had you taken the opportunity of a screening - I really feel that that is a message that I didn't want to shy away from anymore," she said. New cervical cancer infection screening launched 17,500 cervical smear tests to be re-checked
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Cervical cancer: Alliance MLA Michelle Guy says screening saved her life
An MLA has said it was "shocking and really terrifying" when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in November Guy, who was 44 at the time and experienced no symptoms, said the cancer was only caught because of cervical screening."It terrifies me to think if I was blasé about going for screenings, what that outcome could have been; how more developed things might have been when I realised that there was a problem," she average of 81 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer each year between 2017 and 2021, with about 20 deaths per year, according to the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, which hold the most recent statistics. The Alliance Party politician hopes to use her platform to encourage women to go for cervical screening."I'm relieved to have went through that process, relieved that the screening system worked for me; that it did find that cancer, and it did find it early," she mother-of-two said her diagnosis came as "a huge surprise" as her previous smear tests had always came back clear of a routine smear test two years ago showed there was "something wrong" which needed further investigation."To find myself in that position was initially unnerving," she said."But I was realistic that most people, they go through this, everything's fine."That's what the screening process is for, to identify things early." A couple of weeks after having a colposcopy, while sitting in her kitchen, she received a "terrifying" phone call from the hospital asking her to come in, but not to come alone."When you hear, don't come on your own, you know there's something wrong," she was told she had cervical was caught "at an early stage", which she said was a "relief", but it still led to months of anxiety until she completed treatment was a hysterectomy which she had in January 2024, while still working as a councillor for Lisburn and Castlereagh Council. "We got a level of reassurance that the hysterectomy would be a cure - that was the language that my oncologist used - that they intended this to be a cure," she said."There isn't 100% certainty until you've had the procedure and all the different tests are complete, so I was just really anxious and determined to get it over with."You want that operation as soon as possible because nothing's getting better while you're waiting."I was lucky that it was contained and localised in a way that going through that surgery, as dramatic and painful as that is, I was very cognizant that things might have been worse had that diagnosis not come as early as it did." What is cervical screening? Cervical screening, while not a diagnostic test, is for people without symptoms and aims to detect early changes which could go on to develop into cervical cancer if left some cases, cancer may be December 2023, Northern Ireland introduced primary HPV cervical screening, although this was after Ms Guy's checks for an infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) - the cause of most cervical newer HPV test is regarded as a better indicator than cytology of identifying who is a higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Through her diagnosis and treatment she continued to work in politics because, not only did she feel it was "vocational", it was also a "distraction".She said she had that "reflex to stay busy" and "wanted to get as far away from what I had been through as quickly as possible"."It's that sense of I was running away from it as opposed to necessarily processing it," she said she also threw herself into experiences that she may not otherwise have done so, including replacing Sorcha Eastwood as the MLA for Lagan Valley just eight months after her diagnosis. 'Hopefully do some good' Michelle understands that there is a lack of confidence around cervical screening, particularly after what happened in the Southern Trust when 17,500 women had to have their smear tests re-checked."Of course [that] would shake anybody's confidence in our system here - that women were going forward for their smears, and they were being let down," she she had kept her cervical cancer diagnosis private, she feels now is the right time to share her experience to "hopefully do some good" and encourage women to attend screenings."Not going for it and then potentially facing a diagnosis that I had and potentially one that's much more serious - that you knew you might have been able to prevent had you taken the opportunity of a screening - I really feel that that is a message that I didn't want to shy away from anymore," she said.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
NI riot post critics were defamatory
A Stormont minister accused of "inflaming tensions" over recent trouble in Northern Ireland has warned his critics that some of their comments were in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and under a chorus of criticism from rival MLAs, the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP's) Gordon Lyons again said he would not resigning as communities accused his opponents of trying to score political points over a Facebook post about the location of migrant families who fled their deputy leader of the Alliance party, Eoin Tennyson, accused him of being "irresponsible and reckless". He added: "Do you recognise if you were a minister anywhere else on these islands you would already be gone?"But Mr Lyons hit back, saying: "I think there were a number of comments made last week by a number of individuals - and, by the way, comments that were not just wrong but they were offensive - and in many cases they were defamatory and I would just put that on the record as a warning to some people as well." What did Gordon Lyons say about Larne? A leisure centre in Larne, County Antrim, was attacked last Wednesday in a third night of violence in Northern first broke out in Ballymena, County Antrim, last Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the that day, two teenage boys appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and rioting, which broke out after the peaceful protest, was later described as "racist thuggery" by Wednesday, Lyons wrote on Facebook that he had been made aware that "a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Leisure Centre" in the wake of the violence in Ballymena. The centre was later attacked and set on fire, with Lyons being accused of "inflaming tensions" over his post. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said he should consider his position while Secretary of State Hilary Benn said he should "reflect" on his rejected any suggestion he had revealed the centre was being used, adding that the information was already in the public domain and that the post's purpose was to counter rumours. He subsequently said he would not be resigning, a point he reiterated on Monday in the assembly when asked by his DUP colleague Phillip Brett."I'm not going anywhere," he replied. Lyons also revealed he had a conversation with the Secretary of State Hilary Benn but he said what they discussed would remain response to a a question by another Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson about whether he had spoken to any of the migrant families temporarily house in Larne Leisure Centre, he said he had offered to and it was up to them if they wanted to meet.
Irish Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Post
Tributes paid after former Alliance Party leader Sean Neeson passes away
TRIBUTES have been paid to Sean Neeson, the former leader of the Alliance Party, who has passed away at the age of 79. Mr Neeson, a former school teacher, joined the party in 1977 and that same year was elected to Carrickfergus Borough Council, later serving as mayor between 1993 and 1994. In 1998, he was elected as MLA for East Antrim and also as Alliance Party leader, replacing John Alderdice. He remained leader until 2001 and was twice re-elected to the Assembly before announcing his decision to step down ahead of the 2011 election to spend more time with his family. When he stepped down from Carrickfergus Borough Council in 2013, he was its longest-serving member with 36 years of service. 'Always seeking to build bridges' Current Alliance Party leader Naomi Long described Mr Neeson's death as like losing 'part of our history'. "My thoughts and prayers today are with Sean's family and friends," she said. "But today, Alliance has also lost a part of our history. "Sean showed leadership at a time when the party needed it, and we will always be grateful to him for that. "Known for getting things done, Sean was a dedicated public servant who delivered for everyone in Carrickfergus as a Councillor and then the wider East Antrim area when he became an MLA, a role he was delighted to take on. "In later years, Sean's passion for Alliance and Northern Ireland as a whole continued, and I was delighted he was well enough to join us at Conference just last year." Deputy leader Eóin Tennyson, MLA for Upper Bann, added: "I'm deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sean Neeson. "Sean steered Alliance through challenging times, always seeking to build bridges where division and sectarianism loomed. "He served our party and the people of East Antrim with distinction. "My thoughts and condolences are with Sean's family and loved ones." 'Quiet conviction' The DUP's Sammy Wilson, who served as an MLA for East Antrim from 2003 until 2015, said he was saddened by the loss of his friend. "Whilst we disagreed on most issues, nevertheless, we were always able to treat each other as friends," he said. "Indeed, we worked together on a number of issues over the years and even after Sean dropped out of politics, we still had good old-fashioned political discussions when we met at civic events." SDLP leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood posted on Twitter/X: "Really sorry to hear that Sean Neeson has died. "He had a quiet conviction and was well respected across Ireland and Britain for his empathy and genuine approach to getting things done." Meanwhile, former SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie, now a member of the House of Lords, wrote: "I served in the Assembly with Sean and always found him to be courteous, respectful and above all a person of reconciliation." See More: Alliance Party, Sean Neeson
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Tributes after death of former Alliance leader Sean Neeson at 79
Tributes have been paid following the death of former Alliance Party leader Sean Neeson at the age of 79. Current party leader Naomi Long said Mr Neeson had been a dedicated public servant. Mr Neeson was first elected to Carrickgergus Borough Council in 1977 and later served as mayor. Later he became an East Antrim MLA and served as Alliance leader between 1998 and 2001. 'My thoughts and prayers today are with Sean's family and friends,' said Ms Long. She added: 'But today, Alliance has also lost a part of our history. 'Sean showed leadership at a time when the party needed it, and we will always be grateful to him for that. 'Known for getting things done, Sean was a dedicated public servant who delivered for everyone in Carrickfergus as a councillor and then the wider East Antrim area when he became an MLA, a role he was delighted to take on. 'In later years, Sean's passion for Alliance and Northern Ireland as a whole continued, and I was delighted he was well enough to join us at conference just last year.' DUP leader Gavin Robinson said Mr Neeson had been a 'strong voice for his constituents' as a political leader. He said: 'He was a passionate advocate for the beliefs and principles that guided him. 'His respectful approach earned him recognition across the political spectrum. 'We extend our deepest sympathy to his family and friends, and to all in the Alliance Party who mourn his passing today.' Stewart Dickson, an Alliance Party colleague of Mr Neeson on Carrickfergus Council and as an East Antrim MLA, said he was 'saddened to hear of the death of my good friend'. Alliance Party deputy leader Eoin Tennyson paid tribute on social media. He said: 'I'm deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Sean Neeson. 'Sean steered Alliance through challenging times, always seeking to build bridges where division and sectarianism loomed. 'He served our party and the people of East Antrim with distinction. 'My thoughts and condolences are with Sean's family and loved ones.'
