21/06/2026
“Nothing can prepare you for it. You never think it’s going to be you or your family that would get a cancer diagnosis," says Dennis Hogan, who is sharing his story, alongside his Daughter Rachel, this Father's Day.
In October 2022, Dennis Hogan, 66, from Ennistymon, Co. Clare, noticed what he thought was his tonsils swelling up. He went to his GP, who prescribed antibiotics and steroids. “The medication masked my symptoms, and when I finished the round of antibiotics and steroids, the swelling returned,” he says.
“I went back in to see my doctor. She saved my life. She wrote a letter and told me to be at the hospital in Limerick for 8am, and we were there, 3 days before Christmas.”
Dennis was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2022.
“When the doctor showed me his scans, the only visible organ I could see was the heart,” says Dennis’s daughter Rachel, who was an important source of support for Dennis.
Rachel also remembers what it was like to see her dad grapple with his diagnosis and treatment, and shares how she supported him.
“Cancer is such a scary thing. There are so many emotions, and you put a lot of pressure on yourself being a family member of someone that’s going through cancer. Your emotions are so important. But if you aren’t strong enough for yourself, how are you going to support someone else?
“There were some days my dad was in the hospital, and he might ring me. We might say ten different things to each other, but hearing my voice, it gave him comfort. Your support can mean the world to somebody that’s feeling isolated, alone or scared. It’s okay for you to be scared too.
“You feel like a bit of an alien because you can’t do much, that seems so helpless to someone so sick. But hearing stories and having a warm dinner when they get home - they appreciate it so much more than you think. You have a purpose in their treatment plan. These small tasks can mean so much. It is helping them."
You can read Dennis and Rachel's full story at the link in our bio ☝️
