RTE’s Maia Dunphy opens up about ‘rough few months’ amid mum’s cancer battle
RTE star Maia Dunphy has opened up about the last "rough few months" amid her mum's cancer battle.
The presenter never shared her mum had been ill when she was diagnosed back in January.
However, her mother, Helen, is on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery.
Maia said: "It's been a rough year because - I haven't said this publicly - but my mum was diagnosed with cancer back in January.
"It's been a very rough few months and she's just had a big operation this week. Thanks to everyone in St Vincent's Hospital.
"The thing about big major surgeries is it's all about it going according to plan with no curveballs, and it did.
"My mum is a warrior and she is so stoic and so positive."
Maia admitted there was a moment on social media that made her emotional.
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She said: "I was talking to somebody about trolling and social media.
"The trolls you can spot a mile off but sometimes you can be blindsided by a message from someone. It's not intentionally malicious or nasty.
"I've been spending a lot of time with my parents over the last few months because my mum's been so unwell.
"I put pictures up on Instagram - I never show Tom's face - but of him and his grandad walking to the playground..
"So lots of my dad because my mum doesn't feel like she's looking her best so she hasn't wanted me to put pictures up.
"This one guy messaged me and I could tell he wasn't being in any way nasty, not intentionally, but he said, 'You only seem to put up pictures with your dad and your son. Do you not get on with your mum at all?'
"It cut me to the bone because nobody knew she was sick and I hadn't told anybody she was sick. We're quite private."
BACK ON HER FEET
But the Dubliner explained that her mum is happy for her to talk about it now.
She told Kathryn Thomas who was filling in for Ray D'Arcy on RTE Radio 1: "But I said to her this week, 'Can I tell people?'
"And she said, 'Oh sure you can tell people now', she said, 'I'm going to get back on my feet soon'."
Maia recently went on a staycation with her son Tom and her parents for RTE show No Place Like Home hosted by Kathryn Thomas.
The 45-year-old told how the holiday came at the right time for her family.
She said: "She's amazing my mum. So actually that trip with No Place Like Home came at a great time because she had a bit of energy back.
"Tom's the only grandchild and very much the little prince. He can do no wrong.
"He spent a few days with her and she had the energy for it, and then my dad came too.
"We went to Carrick-On-Shannon. We had a great time."
COPING WITH CANCER
And Maia told how her approach to dealing with her mum's illness is a practical one.
She said: "I'm a very practical person and the thing about cancer is it will genuinely affect one in two or one in three of us.
"Most of us at some point in our life will have an experience of cancer.
"My mum had breast cancer 25 years ago. My attitude is, 'What has to be done?'
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"Medicine is amazing, once things are caught early it's about what has to be done and what can I do to help?
"Because that's what people need, they don't need you falling apart."
