West Donegal cancer-survivor urges people to act before the alarm bell rings

A west Donegal woman is sharing her breast cancer journey on social media in a bid to raise awareness. 

Ashlene Finnegan, now 53, of Killult, Gortahork, hopes her story helps take the stigma out of getting checked or for others who are going through cancer treatment.

 Ashlene went for her first breast check screening in Letterkenny and was then sent to Galway for further tests last summer.

“The mammogram showed something irregular in my left breast. I was sent a letter from Galway, saying they wanted to do a more in-depth investigation,” Ashlene tells DonegalLive. 

“When I went to Galway, the scan showed the left breast was okay, but the doctor checked the right breast as well, and that’s where she found I had two tumours.” 

Ashlene was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 10, 2024, and had a lumpectomy to remove the tumours 15 days later.  

As she began her chemotherapy 12 weeks later, Ashlene began to post regular videos about her treatment on Facebook. Her videos have been viewed by thousands since.

“I felt like sharing was going to help me and others - and it has,” she adds. “The amount of people that have messaged me, saying they never have been for a mammogram before or have been too scared to … By watching me, they have gone to get checked out.” 

Completing her chemotherapy in January, Ashlene’s treatment plan was followed by radiotherapy, which she finished on February 12. Relieved that it is over, Ashlene is overwhelmed by the support she received from people as far away as the United States. 

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“When I started video-blogging, I felt like I was getting stronger, and the outpour of support was amazing,” she adds. “I was getting cards from people I didn’t even know from places like Glasgow and America. Everybody was on this journey with me.” 

On finishing her treatment, Ashlene is excited to build up her fitness. One of her many passions is jiving and she is known around the Cloughaneely parish for running jiving and line-dancing lessons. 

She wants to continue documenting her journey post-cancer and spread awareness on social media. Last October, Ashlene raised around €2,000 for Breast Cancer Ireland. Now, post-treatment, she is fundraising for the charity again, by walking two kilometres every day in March. 

“This fundraiser is motivating me to get my fitness back, and when people are supporting, it encourages me to do it more.” 

She urges others who might be scared to get a mammogram: “When that letter with your appointment comes through the door, get it done. You cannot put your health to the one side.”