Latest news with #CervicalCheck
Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Three arrested in Kildare in connection with property damage worth €400,000
Gardaí have arrested a man, 30s, and two juveniles in Kildare in connection with damage of property worth around €400,000 The arrests took place this morning, June 20, at a number of residences across the county following a search operation led by the Kildare North Crime Hub. The arrests are related to incidents of criminal damage to properties between April 22 and May 4 of this year, with damage costs believed to be in the region of €400,000. The three are currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at garda stations across Kildare. Investigations are ongoing. Read More 'Doomed to fail': CervicalCheck tribunal cost €3.4m but made no awards
The Irish Sun
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Ireland AM stars Tommy and Muireann fight back tears in emotional interview with young mum who has incurable cancer
IRELAND AM stars Tommy Bowe and Muireann O'Connell fought back tears during an emotional interview with a young mum who has an incurable cancer diagnosis. Hairdresser Leona Macken, 38, appeared on the hit chat show this morning to discuss her devastating diagnosis. 2 Leona Macken appeared on Ireland AM as a guest this morning Credit: VMTV 2 Muireann and Tommy were emotional during the interview Credit: VMTV Leona was diagnosed with stage three cervical in June 2023 and underwent radical surgery followed by postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Despite intensive treatment, recurrence of her cancer was diagnosed in March 2025 and has advanced to stage four. Leona took legal action from what she said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Last Tuesday an as the young mum, and her husband, Alan, settled a High Court action against the . read more on ireland am Leona spoke about her several health checks in the years prior to her diagnosis. She told viewers: "I went for my eligible one [smear test] in 2013, that was grand. I didn't hear anything back. "In 2016, I was due a smear again and I was like, 'Right, we'll do this before we start planning on having a baby'. Went and got that done, came back fine, got on with my life again. "Then I had two babies in 2017 and 2019 and everything was fine. I went for another smear in 2020 and it was fine as well. read more on the irish sun "As the years went on, I kind of started noticing a few little symptoms, nothing that I was too kind of worried about. "I had two babies, I was thinking I was getting older, my body was changing. And I kind of started going with like little symptoms; pelvic pains and irregular periods, things like that. Ireland AM host's left shocked at guest's sunbed horror "We started just doing tests here and there. Again, I wasn't stressing it too much because I never ever thought [of] cancer at all. I thought, 'I'd had all my smears'." Leona was experiencing symptoms about "a year and a half before" her smear test in 2020 and had an ultrasound done in January 2023 that "came back fine". She was then due to have another smear test in 2023 and it came back with "high grade abnormalities". Leona explained: "When I got that call that's when I went, 'Oh my God, it's getting a lot more serious here', and that's when I was told that I need to go for a colposcopy. 'THAT'S A LOT' "And by this stage, I was looking at like the early cancer symptoms and I literally had every one of them. And that's when I kind of realised, 'Okay, this is cancer'. Like I kind of had it in my head before I was diagnosed almost." Leona had a colposcopy which confirmed she had cancer in June 2023 and just weeks later in July 2023, she had a hysterectomy. Leona replied: "It was a lot. I was like, 'Just get this out of my body, let's just get this done - whatever I have to do, I'll do it'. And look, we were confident enough. They said I was like stage 1B2 and we'll do the hysterectomy and it should be okay. 'HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?' "And then when I came out of the hysterectomy, they kind of said, 'Look, we had to look at lymph nodes and stuff', and then I found out after that there was lymph node involvement. "So then I was up to like stage 3C1. That's when they kind of started talking to me about chemotherapy and radiotherapy." Leona responded: "I kind of felt like they were listening to me to a certain extent. But again, I was like thinking, 'How did I how did this happen?', I would ask, like, 'How I how did I go from a perfect smear in 2020 to now?'. PAINFUL JOURNEY "A part of me was almost afraid to ask the hard questions as well in case I almost upset someone or offended. I had a lot of questions myself. That's when I started looking into it when I was at home." When asked how she found out she had stage four cancer, Leona explained: "Just this year in January. I actually contacted them. So in 2024 I was in a lot of pain after he treatment first time around, they were saying like, 'The radiotherapy has side effects'. "At this stage, I was also menopause, I had a hysterectomy, I had chemo, there was a lot. It was hard to pinpoint what was causing what. "It was really hard to kind of go, 'Okay, this is what is causing this and this is what'. As much as it was hard to say, I was trying to articulate it as much as I could to each consultant that I went to. "It was a bit of a mess. But again, I was trying my best to kind of say, 'Who do I say this to?'. I was moving on pain killers, I was getting pain injections. "And, I was thinking, 'God, if I have to live with this, how am I going to manage it?'. Then in January, I just rang them and I was like, 'Look, you have to see me. I'm just in too much pain'. And then it just all kind of kicked off again. 'FLOORED ME' "That was the appointment where I was kind of starting to get frustrated. I was like, 'Look, I've been saying how much pain I'm in'." Leona detailed how she was told her cancer is "back and it's stage four" during an appointment and when she asked if they can do treatment she was told they "possibly" could but it would be "just to keep it at bay". She added: "And that for me was the appointment that just floored me. I just felt like I tried to do everything to stay on top of it for so long. And I felt like I was chasing it for so long." Tommy said: "You done everything." Leona added: "I felt like I just let myself down. I didn't win. And it was soul destroying. It was gut-wrenching. I think fell into the chair. I just wanted to get out of the appointment. "We left and we just sat in the car and we just cried and cried and cried and cried. And then I had to go home and tell my parents. 'SOUL DESTROYING' "For me looking at my kids and just all I could see was what I was going to miss or what I wasn't going to be there for." Tommy, who was tearing up, added: "And to have been going through that pain as well with them to see their mum in pain." Leona replied: "I mean, they've been absolutely amazing. But I can only protect them from so much." Muireann remarked: "I just I can't imagine how angry I'd be. I'd want to shout it at the sky." Leona said: "I did have a lot of anger at the start. I think when I was first asking questions is when I had the most anger because I knew I'd done everything and I was so confident that I'd done everything. 'SO SCARY' "But I had to let go of it because it was just ruining now. And I just thought to myself, 'All I have is now', and all any of us have is now. "I'm not the only family this is happening to. It is still happening. I'm not a lone wolf here and that's the scary thing. These are abnormalities that are on slides that are very obvious that should be detected and early. And that's that. "Timing is everything with cancer. If I had been told this in 2016 or 2020, I would be living a completely different life today, that's what's hard to accept." Tommy said: "You said you're not angry. It must... you've two young girls. It's the fear." Leona replied: "It's so scary. I mean, every single day I just look at them and I think how they'll be without me. And like, I'm not giving up. What are the symptoms of cervical cancer? There are no obvious symptoms during the early stages of cervical cancer. However, vaginal bleeding can often be a tell-tale sign, especially if it occurs after sex, in between periods or after the menopause. That said, abnormal bleeding is not a definite sign of the condition, just a possible indicator. Nevertheless, it should be investigated by your GP as soon as possible. Other warning signs include: pain and discomfort during sex unusual or unpleasant vaginal discharge pain in your lower back or pelvis And if it spreads to other organs, the signs can include: pain in your lower back or pelvis severe pain in your side or back caused by your kidneys constipation peeing or pooing more than usual losing control of your bladder or bowels blood in your pee swelling in one or both legs severe vaginal bleeding "I've looked into everything. I'm still looking into things and I'm not giving up." Leona's husband Alan was also sat in the Virgin Media studio and both Muireann and Tommy got emotional as they addressed him an thanked Leona for her time. Muireann said: "When you think you've got small problems and you see what you're going through. Alan has been looking at you, your husband, the whole way. "The love in his eyes, everything that you're doing, you're doing together. Obviously, it's been so hard. "You've got your family, you've got your girls. Regardless of how long it is, I know you're going to keep on searching to stay as long as you can and you're living your life. "It can't be easy doing this and we really appreciate it." Tommy added: "Thanks so much for coming on. To your little girls and of course Alan as well who's here, thanks so much."
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Most CervicalCheck samples still sent to US, as mother of two says ‘hardest thing' was telling her family she had cancer
Nearly eight in 10 CervicalCheck samples taken from women in Ireland are still sent to laboratories in the United States, with the remainder processed in Dublin, it emerged yesterday.
Irish Examiner
04-06-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Cork woman with stage 4 cervical cancer urges women to continue screening and get vaccinated
A Cork woman with stage 4 cervical cancer, following two misdiagnosed smear tests, says she still urges women to attend regular screenings and get vaccinated. Mother-of-two Leona Macken received an apology from the HSE at the High Court on Tuesday after two of her smear tests — first in 2016 and again in 2020 — were misread. The 38-year-old hairdresser said she has since been overwhelmed with messages of support from the public, and that the apology meant 'the world' to her. She told the Irish Examiner: 'I still want women and young girls to get their vaccinations and to have their smears done. 'I paid privately for my first smear at 21 years old. I was always conscious of this'. She said taking the case to the High Court was about more than her personal experience — it was to highlight that the national cervical screening programme is 'not working properly' and must be 'properly examined.' 'This happened to me two years after Vicky Phelan, this is not ok, things need to be properly examined, how did this happen again?'. Leona Macken settled her legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Following the High Court apology on Wednesday, Ms Macken appeared on Newstalk Breakfast and RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne before heading to hospital for chemotherapy. 'They (the HSE) has publicly said they have failed me, there were failures in the system that led to my stage 4 diagnosis' she said. 'I read the apology before it was read in court, and I was really happy with that. But I know it's not easy to get an apology and it's rare and that was really so important to me and my husband and our children and our family'. Ms Macken has been documenting her journey on social media in recent months. 'Having a smear is so important' she said. 'I get so many messages from women telling me they had a smear and are now having a biopsy or laser treatment because they have abnormal cells. 'I wish I had that opportunity' she continued. 'But I didn't, and instead I discovered I was at stage 1, then stage 3 and now stage 4. 'My abnormal cells were missed and I missed a chance to treat them. I really wish I had that chance to have stopped it in its tracks that's why I say to people, get your smear done." She added: 'I will make sure my daughters get their vaccines, I am speaking for them and for the other women who are going to be possibly missed in the system too. 'I trusted the system, but it let me down. Someone needs to investigate why it's going wrong'. Leona Macken and her husband Alan settled their legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Medical negligence solicitor Cian O'Donnell, who has represented several women affected by screening failures, supported her call. 'Leona Macken is right to encourage people to use the system, because screening does work. 'It didn't work for her, unfortunately, but Leona is clear in her message to other women and that is to engage with regular screenings and look after your health." He added: "The Minister for Health and the HSE and those in charge need to be honest with themselves and not to have this blind insistence that this programme is working. 'Not a single patient in the cervical screening programme has been investigated – Vicky Pelan's screen was never investigated. 'We need to look at the individual screeners and follow the patterns and audits must be done, but that has not happened and that is not norm in laboratories.'
Irish Examiner
04-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
‘Something isn't working': Leona Macken urges cervical screening reform after HSE apology over smear failures
Leona Macken, the 38-year-old woman with incurable cancer who received a court apology on Tuesday from the HSE over the failures in two smear tests that led to her diagnosis, has said she would still encourage women to get screened and would ensure her daughters are vaccinated. However, she said she believes there is 'something wrong' with the cervical screening programme that must be identified and addressed. Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast and later on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Ms Macken said she was 'overwhelmed' by the public support she has received. She said the HSE's court apology 'meant a huge amount' to her. 'Just the acknowledgement alone from the failures and everything, and even the words that they used, it was a really good conclusion, I suppose, to everything for us. We kind of didn't know whether we were going to get it, and there's been a lot of women in my position that didn't get that, so it is something that I don't take for granted,' she told Newstalk. The mother of two girls, aged five and eight, said on Today with Claire Byrne that while she trusted the system, its failure in her case does not mean it won't work for others. 'I would never tell someone not to get a smear. It didn't work for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. 'I have two little girls, they'll be definitely getting the vaccinations. I don't want people to take from this that I'm saying smears don't work, it's just they need to be checked more like. Something isn't working somewhere and that's what we need to find out.' Receiving the apology was crucial for both her and her husband, Alan as she had felt that she needed 'to stick up for myself.' She had done 'everything right' and had even paid for smears herself having seen the experience of Jade Goody. 'I did everything I was meant to and for them to then validate that was huge for me.' Leona Macken and her husband Alan settled their legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts Despite two clear smear results, she said she always felt something was wrong. After two pregnancies, she assumed her symptoms might be due to hormonal changes, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis or perimenopause. But blood tests and ultrasounds were clear. 'I just did not think cancer at all because I knew I'd been so careful and I also knew it was a slow progressing cancer so I knew like that if there was something there I would have had abnormalities at some stage.' Ms Macken's current stage 4 diagnosis means 'it's treatable to a certain extent, but not curable.' "When I went in first, as you can imagine, being told you have stage 4 cancer, after being through everything else, and knowing this could have been avoided, it was gut-wrenching. I felt like, so hard done by, I'd done everything I could do. How did I get to this point,' she said. Telling her family was 'horrific.' She is currently undergoing quadruple therapy—'two chemotherapies and one or two immunotherapies,' she said. "At this point, I'm just still not giving in. I want to be the one to do it. 'I have two little girls growing up now and I'm worried about them. What's going to happen, you know? It's not good enough what's happening. I shouldn't be going through this today. I shouldn't be living this today.' Ms Macken welcomed an apology from health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and said she would love to meet her. 'I'm a very open person and I'm very open to a chat," she said. "They need to see these people in real life and see what they're going through, that they're not just a cancer, there are stories behind these people, where it's affecting my mom, my dad, where people's daughters, mothers, you know, and we shouldn't be going through it. "That's the most frustrating part is it could have been avoided.' Leona Macken settled her legal action against the HSE, arising from what they said were failures in the CervicalCheck screening programme in 2016 and 2020. Picture: Collins Courts She said she refused to give up. 'I have too much to live for. It's such a beautiful life. I have two beautiful children. I have an amazing family and a huge support behind me. In every other aspect of my life, I've always said I'm so lucky. I just have the most beautiful life and I just don't want to leave it." But, she added, serious reform is needed. "The auditing was stopped in 2018. It hasn't been picked up since. It was stopped weeks after Vicky Phelan's case," she said on Newstalk. "The Patient Safety Act of 2013 states that if this is even picked back up, it must remain anonymous. So the patients aren't necessarily being told the results. There are so many things in the system that need to be rectified like it needs to be looked at. It's just not good enough. It's people's family, it's people's daughters, kids are losing their mommies." On Morning Ireland, Minister Carroll MacNeill offered a personal apology and said that women should not have to fight for access to their medical history. 'There should be open disclosure and that's very, very clear and I want to offer my apology too in this case because what you have here is a 38-year-old woman who has been impacted in this way and so have her family and that is so, so important.' The Minister acknowledged that all screening programmes have limitations but said 'this should never have happened.' "What we want is people in medical negligence cases to have absolutely timely open disclosure, they need a resolution to their case and they do not need additional stress going through the court process. 'Obviously the state needs to manage it to a certain extent in terms of the broader liability but these are very, very clear cases and it is really important that people are treated and not provided additional stress and additional hurt through a court process."
