Despite needing surgeries every two years since having a tumour removed in 2012, cancer survivor still bristles at the ONE word she's constantly told to her face - and why all parents need to hear her story

Published: 15:34, 14 August 2026 | Updated: 15:34, 14 August 2026 A woman who has had two surgeries a year since she was diagnosed with cervical cancer 14 years ago has urged parents of girls – and boys – to avail of free HPV vaccines in secondary school. Caoimhe O’Neill Forde was 26 when she was diagnosed.  Although she said she is ‘blessed’ to have survived, the Co. Clare woman does not count herself ‘lucky’. And she is hoping her story will encourage more parents to have their children vaccinated so they do not have to go through the ongoing suffering she has to endure. Since having major surgery to remove a tumour in 2012, Caoimhe has needed repeated operations to treat scarring and adhesions caused by the original procedure. ‘I’d say I’ve had surgery every two years.  'I could be a study in how much anaesthetic one person can take,’ she said, revealing she has often left hospital in tears because of the pain. Caoimhe told of the profound impact cervical cancer has had on her life, her health and her ability to have children, as parents of first-year students are set to receive consent forms this month for the vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV). Before her diagnosis, she was working in Cork ‘just living my best life’, after studying industrial biochemistry in college. Diagnosed at such a young age, she has often found herself tagged with well-meaning but jarring labels.  Caoimhe has needed repeated operations to treat scarring and adhesions caused by the original procedure ‘People don’t want to face up [to fact] that young people can be sick.  'People tend to put that on you: “You’re so brave.  'I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other. ‘I will always say to people, “stop with the brave”, or the “you’re so lucky”.  'It’s like, “Well, am I? I got cancer at 26, so lucky is not really a word in my repertoire.”’ Her cancer diagnosis in 2012 came as such a shock that she had to be told twice. ‘The [doctor] said, “I don’t think you’re hearing me.  'I am diagnosing you with cancer.”’ She had been so convinced it was a routine appointment that she left her mother waiting in the car. On her return, she recalls saying to her mother: ‘Yeah, I have cancer.  'I think it took about two or three weeks before I realised what happened.’ Caoimhe had a trachelectomy procedure, a fertility-sparing surgery in which the cervix and upper vagina are removed but the uterus is left intact. ‘The idea is then that you could still hold a baby in your womb and it’s still possible.  'Obviously, you’d have to have a C-section. ‘The oncologist I had at the time was very open about it, and he said to me: “Look, I will save your life, and we will try and get you to have children as soon as you’re trying.”’ Fertility remains a very raw –and ongoing – subject for the 40-year-old. ‘I’ve battled with my fertility for years after having cervical cancer.  'It’s been very difficult for me.  'I’ve had losses, and I don’t want to get into the losses,’ she said.  ‘I do know that pain of having had cancer and then having considerable fertility problems as well.’ However, Caoimhe – a member of the 221+ Patient Support Group – is keen to reassure other women that having a baby can still be possible after the surgery she had. ‘There are babies who’ve been born to women who’ve had trachelectomies in Ireland,’ she said.  ‘There’s quite a few of them running around the place.  'That’s really important to know.  'It works for some people, and doesn’t for others.’ Surgeons were able to remove all the cancer in 2012, but the enduring toll of the disease is why she has decided to raise awareness of HPV-related cancers and the importance of getting vaccinated. A HSE spokesman said the vaccine ‘continues to play an important role in protecting young people against HPV-related cancers and other diseases caused by HPV' ‘I’ve seen first-hand the impacts that cervical cancers and cancers caused by HPV can cause, and it’s such an easy way of preventing them,’ she said. ‘My whole entire life would be completely different if I had had that option for the sake of one injection.  'People go to Thailand and Africa all the time and put out their hand and get a load of injections put into their arm and think absolutely nothing of it.’ Recent research by pharma company MSD Ireland and the Marie Keating Foundation found 75 per cent of parents of daughters under 18 were worried about their daughter coming into contact with HPV.  But only 42 per cent of parents of teenage boys shared the concern. Research also found only one in 10 adults in Ireland have a full understanding of HPV. Almost four in 10 (38 per cent) are unaware the virus can lead to certain types of cancer and nearly one in four did not know boys can develop HPV‑related cancers. The free HPV vaccine offered to boys and girls in their first year of secondary school protects against HPV types linked to most cervical cancers, as well as cancers of the mouth and throat, anus, penis, vulva and vagina. Caoimhe said: ‘It’s such a simple option.  'It’s such an amazing vaccine that we’re lucky to have.  'I know most people in my life are giving that to their kids to ensure they don’t have to go through what I’ve been through.’ The constant vigilance over her health in the wake of the diagnosis has shaped her life decisions. While it is rare for someone in their 20s to get the disease, there are striking parallels between Caoimhe’s experience and that of her neighbour in Ennis, Laura Brennan, the late HPV vaccine campaigner. ‘Laura was just down the road from me, and she was 26 as well,’ said Caoimhe, adding there was a significant uptake in vaccination after Laura died in 2019. The Laura Brennan HPV Catch‑Up Programme also offers an additional opportunity for eligible young people in fifth and sixth year who may have missed the HPV vaccine when it was first offered in school. Through the 221+ Patient Support Group, Caoimhe also met Vicky Phelan several times, and credits both Vicky and Laura for saving lives by tirelessly campaigning in the face of their own terminal illnesses. Through the 221+ Patient Support Group, Caoimhe also met Vicky Phelan several times, and credits both Vicky and Laura for saving lives by tirelessly campaigning in the face of their own terminal illnesses ‘They were amazing, amazing women,’ she said.  ‘To do so much and sacrifice so much of their own health.  'That had to take a mental toll as well.  'They’ve definitely prevented a lot of deaths.’ And she advised: ‘Advocate for yourself.  'Don’t let the tragedies of the past stop you from getting your smears.  Her hope is Ireland will emulate Australia, the first country to roll out a national vaccination programme, which is on track to eliminate the disease by 2035. ‘The aim here is to be cervical cancer-free by 2050,’ she said.  ‘Vaccinate your boys and your girls.  'I’d like to be the last generation that dies with cervical cancer. A HSE spokesman said the vaccine ‘continues to play an important role in protecting young people against HPV-related cancers and other diseases caused by HPV.  'It is offered in the first year of second-level school, when it is most effective.’ ■ For campaign information visit the HSE website or hpvaware.ie Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.