Just watched Laura Brennan -This is me on RTE 1 and I must say that I was moved by the programme.
Laura from Ennis in Co. Clare contracted Cervical cancer after being infected with the Human papillomavirus (HPV). She was diagnosed with a Terminal condition basically the cancer had spread to other parts of the body and was untreatable. She showed a brave face with the fact that she had given only two to five years to live and got the news of her cancer at only 23/24 years of age.
Life is only starting for a lot of people at that age. She set about raising the issue that the HPV vaccine was only taken up by 51% of school girls and that take up of the vaccine should be a lot higher and could possibly save their lives later on. She (Laura) did much to highlight the use of the HPV vaccine and so prevent others from developing similar conditions. She admitted that she got HPV from sexual contact, it is a STD (Sexual Transmitted Disease). She received some “hate mail” from ignorant people but it didn’t effect her. She struggled on with the disease as it began to spread to other parts of the body and increase in severity. Her condition gradually got worse and it was time to say her goodbyes to loved ones, after a series of trips to Hospital she passed away on March 20th 2019 at the age of 26.
May She rest in Peace.
https://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/stdfact-hpv.htm STD Facts