Ireland AM meets 4-year old Merryn Lacy who is bravely battling Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.

Tuesday 25th, 15:32pm

For further information:

Sharon McHugh
TV3 PRESS OFFICE
+3531 419 3430 / 087 922 4143
sharon.mchugh@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie

Ciara Byrne
+353 1 419 3329 / 087 3199732
ciara.byrne@tv3.ie

TV3 GROUP RELEASE

IMMEDIATE: Tuesday 25th February, 2014.

Ireland AM meets 4-year old Merryn Lacy who is bravely battling Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.

4-year old Merryn was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma - an aggressive childhood cancer of the nervous system.

Parents of Lily-Mae Morrison, who also suffered from Stage 4 Neuroblastoma and is currently in remission, have been very supportive

Katie Taylor has donated her Olympic torch to the Merryn fund in order to raise funds for the next phase in her treatment.

Ireland AM airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.45am on TV3.

Jenny and Michael Lacy parents are available for interview on request

Click here to view the full episode on 3Player

Sinead Desmond and Mark Cagney met four-year-old Merryn Lacy and her parents on Ireland AM this morning following Merryn’s heart-breaking diagnosis with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma - a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells that most commonly affects children age 5 or younger.

Jenny and Michael Lacy discuss the tragic events that led to Merryn’s diagnosis, revealing that during a trip to London in July of last year, they had noticed that their beautiful daughter had not been herself. She had been feeling lethargic and complaining of tummy pains. When they returned home they went to their GP only to be transferred to Our Lady’s Hospital in Crumlin where they received news that would change their lives forever.

They also discuss their plans to seek treatment beyond the current course that she is on, which will come at a high cost and will most likely take her to Europe or USA for further treatment.

In early August 2013,Merryn was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma and began treatment immediately. Jenny said: “It could have gone undiagnosed for months, as Neuroblastoma often does, but luckily we made the decision to go straight in and get it checked out.”

When asked by Sinead how she processed such terrible news, Jenny replied: “You just do. It was a whirlwind - there was no time for thinking and Michael and I function better when she’s in treatment because you know something is being done.”

Merryn finished her 12th round of chemo last week and is awaiting results which will establish what the next steps in her recovery will be. Jenny said: “We finished her 12th round but the last four were high-dose TBD treatment because following her induction chemo she was found to still have a trace of Neuroblastoma in her bone marrow and also in her bones, so we’re still waiting. In the next few weeks she will have a number of tests to determine where we go from here”.

Jenny and Michael know that the option of travelling abroad to seek further preventative treatment once she goes into remission is her best option, but is an expensive one. They are looking at costs of up to €200,000 for the option of travelling to Europe or even America following Merryn’s treatment in Ireland and will have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice as a result of the possibility of relapse.

Michael said: “We want to do the very best for Merryn whatever it takes, so with this she will follow the protocol and treatment here in Ireland until she gets into remission but then we want to be proactive and attack this on the front foot, as the problem is that there’s a 70% chance of relapse and that scares the life out of us so we’re going to do everything we can”.

Since Merryn’s first 80 days of induction chemo, parents of Lily-Mae Morrison, who also suffered from Stage 4 Neuroblastoma and is currently in remission, have been very supportive and have given them great hope. Michael said: “She’s [Lily-Mae’s mother Judith] travelled the road we’re on now at the moment and the first time I talked to her we were on the phone for two hours, she’s been such a great support to us”.

Merryn continues to surprise everyone with her resilience, avoiding getting fed through a tube; counting her own calories and knowing that she’s having good and bad days. Fundraising events will be taking place for Merryn, including ‘Strictly Merryn’, as her favourite show is Strictly Come Dancing. Katie Taylor has been a great support to the Lacy family also having donated her Olympic torch to them in order to raise funds for the next phase in her treatment. Merryn's family just want the best for their little girl and will do everything they can to beat this horrible disease.

Ireland AM airs Monday to Friday from 7am – 10.45am on TV3.

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ENDS

For further information
Ciara Byrne

Press Officer

01 419 3329

Sharon McHugh

Head of Press & Publicity

087 922 4143

publicity@tv3.ie
www.tv3.ie

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