Writer praised for brave and frank interview on dying

NUALA O'FAOLAIN'S frank interview about her illness was praised by people working with cancer patients and the terminally ill.

Mary Ferns, night nursing manager with the Irish Cancer Society, said Ms O'Faolain was "incredibly brave in how she spoke about her impending death. It's not something that comes very easily to patients."

In the interview on Saturday on RTÉ's Marian Finucane Show, Ms O'Faolain said she did not want to give despair to other cancer patients because she accepted that her cancer was incurable.

Ms Ferns said Ms O'Faolain was dealing with her illness in the best way she knew and other people would deal with their diagnoses in different ways. "The support of a palliative care service can really help in the way that people cope with their illness," she said.

Ms O'Faolain's cancer started in her lungs, even though she had stopped smoking 16 years ago.

Norma Cronin, Irish Cancer Society's health promotion manager said the risk of cancer decreased when people stopped smoking, so that 10 or 15 years later, the risk of cancer was just slightly higher for an ex-smoker than for a non-smoker.

Dr Tony Bates, a senior clinical psychologist who is also involved with Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, said Ms O'Faolain had given a voice to many people.

"I think what's extraordinary about Nuala is that all her life she has said things that have been the hardest things to say and she has spoken for people that have no voice," he said to Marian Finucane after the interview had been broadcast. "It's a very inclusive voice that she's giving for people."

Thoughts about death were part of the adjustment to the process of dying, he said. "It has to be a moment in all our experience and isn't it great that somebody says that out loud and that we can hear that, because that's probably as hard as it gets."

Asked for advice on supporting someone with a terminal illness, Dr Bates said to relax and to receive what they say. "If there's one piece of advice, it is to let people be. Whatever they're feeling at any point is exactly the right thing for them to be feeling."

The Irish Cancer Society's freephone helpline is 1800 200