St James's Hospital will be showcasing their BRAVE ‘Highlighting Hereditary Cancer’ Garden at the Bloom Festival in the Pheonix Park this June Bank Holiday weekend, to raise awareness and funds to enhance research and support for those with hereditary cancers.
The majority of cancers occur by chance. These are known as ‘sporadic’ cancers. However, breast and ovarian cancer occurs more often than usual in some families due to their genetic make-up. This type of cancer is known as ‘hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. About 5 to 10% of cancers are hereditary.
Hereditary cancers are caused by changes or faults in certain genes that are passed down (inherited) from a parent to a child. Genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer include BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, TP53, PTEN and other genes.
Inheriting a fault in one of these genes does not mean you will definitely get cancer; it means that you have a much higher risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer than the average person. In some cases, the lifetime risk of developing the disease can be as high as 80%. Knowing about this increased cancer risk allows for earlier detection or cancer prevention through enrolling in surveillance programs or having risk-reducing surgery.
Gardens are healing spaces. They boost physical and mental health and provide a safe, calm haven and a connection to nature which is important for us all.
Our BRAVE ‘Highlighting Hereditary Cancer’ Garden has been designed to raise awareness of hereditary cancer. A place of reflection, the garden will symbolise the genetic variation that occurs in some families that can increase their risk of certain cancers. The garden will also embody the sense of wellbeing that nature promotes.
The garden is modern with an organic layout. Sculptural aspects include the DNA double helix water feature that is inspired by DNA strands that contain our genetic code.
The garden incorporates a seating area which appears to float above an elliptical pool enclosed within planting. Service users and their families are represented within the garden where their thoughts and messages displayed for visitors to read.
With thanks to the sponsors Exact Science and Gilead Sciences and The St James's hospital Foundation for facilitating these donations to bring the garden to life.
The Brave Fund is hosted at St James's Hospital Foundation and provides funding for services and research, for patients with and at high risk of developing hereditary breast & ovarian cancer.
