Elaine Crowley has admitted that given her family’s history with cancer, she will fall victim to the disease at some point in her life.
The TV star, who is an ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland, opened up about her father’s death, and her experiences with cancer in general.
“When my dad died of cancer, that really knocked us all for six, and Mum was in pieces after that. More recently, her best friend Liz died of breast cancer. It was hugely upsetting for her.
“It’s awful to say, but so many people have passed that are close to her, all from different types of cancer. There has been a bit too much of it in my family for my liking,” she said in the Sunday Independent LIFE Magazine.
History: Elaine says ‘statistically’ she will get cancer in the future due to her family’s history | VIPIRELAND.COM
Elaine admitted that meeting her friend Emma Hannigan, who is currently going through cancer for the 10th time, made her have a better understanding of the disease.
“I have a better understanding of cancer, I think, through my friend [the novelist] Emma Hannigan. She’s a very good friend of mine, and that’s how I got involved in Breast Cancer Ireland, through Emma.
“I know the moment Dad passed away, my mother was in shock, because it never entered her head that he’d actually go. It was something they’d never spoken about, which, in hindsight, is ridiculous, but at the time, I suppose, your head is in a bit of a bubble.
“So, to meet Emma and the way she talked about cancer was an eye-opener. When I met her, she was on cancer number six or seven, and she was so matter-of-fact. She said, ‘If I don’t talk about it, what other way am I going to do it?’ That’s why I am very passionate about Breast Cancer Ireland.
Sad: Elaine opened up about her father’s death | VIPIRELAND.COM
“I know, statistically, I will get cancer at some point in my life. It’s not a nice thing to say, but given the amount on both sides of my family, it probably will hit me. There is always that fear in the back of your head,” she admitted.
Elaine spoke about her mother Mary, and how she “dusted herself off” and tried to get on with things – despite going through so much pain.
“We went home straight after Dad died and my mum went up to the bed, because it just hit her. I was hugging her, it could have been five minutes, it could have been three hours. I was just kind of rocking her on the bed like she was my baby, as opposed to I was hers.
Strong: Elaine is inspired by how strong her mum Mary is | VIPIRELAND.COM
“Then, Mum dusted herself off and she tried to get on the best she could. It took a good few years, I’m not going to lie. Dad’s death was utterly devastating for her. But then her best friend gets breast cancer, and the same thing happens over again.
“I’ve only gone through a fraction of what my mum has gone through. The love of her life died, which is terrible. And then her sister, her father, and her best friend – and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. How does anyone go through that?
“The strength of some women just absolutely blows me away, and my mother would be foremost among them, and the bould Emma Hannigan,” she added.
