After 20 years saving lives, Ashbourne firefighter now needs help to save his own

For more than 20 years, Mick Conway was the one people relied on in their darkest moments.

As a firefighter and paramedic with Dublin Fire Brigade, the Ashbourne father-of-three spent his career responding to emergencies, saving lives and helping complete strangers through some of the toughest days of their lives.

Now, it is Mick who needs help. Friends, family and colleagues have rallied around the 41-year-old after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer last August, raising more than €49,000 through a GoFundMe campaign to help fund specialist treatment in Germany.

The fundraiser will help cover the cost of dendritic cell therapy, an immunotherapy treatment Mick hopes will give him the best possible chance after conventional treatment options became limited.

Looking back, Mick said the first signs that something was wrong appeared over Easter last year.

“I started getting this regurgitation,” he explained.

“Some days I'd eat and be fine, while other days the food would come straight back up.”

Despite undergoing a series of tests, doctors struggled to find the cause.

It wasn't until he was admitted to hospital at the end of July that scans revealed a tumour growing externally where the stomach and oesophagus meet.

“The type of tumour I have usually affects older people and is often diagnosed quite late,” he said.

By the time doctors confirmed the diagnosis in August, the cancer had already spread locally.

Initially, the plan was surgery followed by chemotherapy.

However, after further scans revealed the disease had spread, surgery was no longer an option.

“It became palliative chemotherapy,” Mick said.

As a firefighter and paramedic, Mick admits his medical background meant he had an inkling something serious was wrong before the diagnosis was confirmed.

“I probably had an idea there was something more going on,” he said.

“I didn't realise how advanced it was.”

There has, however, been some encouraging news.

Recent scans have shown the cancer has not spread since December.

“The chemotherapy is working,” Mick explained.

“It's hitting the tumours, but they're stubborn.”

Next week he will travel to Germany to undergo dendritic cell therapy, a treatment designed to train the body's immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.

Doctors believe it offers his best chance of slowing or preventing further progression of the disease.

“It has about a 68 per cent success rate,” Mick said.

“You do everything you can.”

The treatment comes at a cost of approximately €45,000, prompting family and friends to establish the GoFundMe appeal, which has already surpassed its target.

Mick said he has been overwhelmed by the response.

“It's unbelievable,” he said.

“The support from people has been incredible.”

He was also keen to acknowledge the support he has received from the Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre in Drogheda and ARC Cancer Support Centres in Dublin.

“The counselling and support they've given me has been brilliant,” he said.

“They've helped me enormously through all of this, and I honestly can't thank them enough.”

The diagnosis has inevitably changed every aspect of family life for Mick, his wife Hazel and their three sons, Josh (18), Sam (11) and Harry (9).

“The hardest part is thinking about missing milestones,” he admitted.

“You think about Josh going to college, Sam growing up and Harry getting older. You just want to be there.”

Despite everything, Mick hopes sharing his story will encourage others not to ignore symptoms or delay seeking medical advice.

“I'd love people to get checked if something doesn't seem right,” he said.

“I lost six-and-a-half stone without trying. If something isn't normal, keep pushing to get it checked. It's not about blaming the health service – these cancers can be difficult to detect – but people know their own bodies.”

Anyone wishing to support Mick's treatment can do so through the GoFundMe campaign here