‘These leaflets and videos will help us to explain the importance of knowing your own body to Travellers in our community. The word cancer is still very scary to hear, but lots of cancers are very treatable if detected early’ – Helen Collins, Pavee Point Traveller Primary Health Care Worker

Pavee Point’s Primary Health Care for Travellers Project (PHCTP) has teamed up with The Marie Keating Foundation to create Traveller-specific cancer prevention resources. These resources were developed in collaboration to ensure the clinical information provided by The Marie Keating Foundation was reviewed and edited by Travellers.

‘We wanted to create Traveller friendly resources on different cancers that are common in our community. It’s especially important that this information gets out to Travellers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as we know many screening appointments were cancelled and some people have found it difficult to see their doctor in person’ – Mary-Brigid Collins, Assistant Coordinator of Pavee Point’s Primary Health Care Project.

Bowel Cancer

Prostate Cancer

Cervical Cancer

Ovarian Cancer

Cancer Survival

You can also read the personal cancer survivor story from Sheila Reilly, one of Pavee Point’s Traveller Primary Health Care Workers.

Sheila describes how she uses her story to inspire and empower other Traveller women to attend their screenings and to be aware of changes in their body.

Marie Keating Foundation

Pavee Point also worked with The Marie Keating Foundation in the past to produce award-winning breast cancer awareness resources. All of The Marie Keating Foundation’s Social Inclusion work can be viewed here.

“The team at the Marie Keating Foundation are committed to making cancer less frightening by enlightening. We are so proud of the work and resources we have been able to create for the Traveller community with the expert guidance from the community at Pavee Point Traveller & Roma Centre. 

“When detected early, cancer can be treated, and with honest and open conversation about cancer’s most common signs and symptoms, we hope to reduce the numbers of Traveller men and women losing their life to cancer, and continue to work with Pavee Point to bridge the gap and make health information accessible and readily available to all.” – Helen Forristal, Director of Nursing Services at the Marie Keating Foundation.