The School Bag That Shows What Childhood Cancer Families Still Carry
There’s a school bag sitting in the middle of Dundrum Town Centre right now that is likely to stop you in your tracks. It’s oversized, golden and stuffed with the kind of things you’d recognise from any child’s life: a soft toy, coloured pencils, a football, a pair of runners. But look a little closer and you’ll also see a school attendance report showing 70 absences from 182 days, a family calendar blocked out with hospital appointments, and a “Get Well Soon” card that arrived during one of the hardest periods a family can face.
That’s the power of Things We Still Carry, Childhood Cancer Ireland’s new public installation at Dundrum Town Centre, launched to mark the start of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September. It’s on display until 7th September and it’s well worth a visit if you’re passing through.
When treatment ends, the journey doesn’t
As parents, we tend to think of a cancer diagnosis in a fairly linear way: diagnosis, treatment, recovery. The end of treatment feels like the moment to breathe out. And it is. But for so many children and families, that moment of relief comes tangled up with something far more complicated.
Laura Cullinan, CEO of Childhood Cancer Ireland, puts it plainly: “When treatment finishes, there is understandably an enormous sense of relief. But alongside that relief can come a wave of unexpected emotions — fear, anxiety, exhaustion and uncertainty about what comes next. There can be an expectation that treatment ending means life simply goes back to normal, but for many children and families, that isn’t the reality.”
That gap between what the world sees and what a family is still living through is exactly what the installation is designed to close. A schoolbag is about the most ordinary object in a child’s life. For a child who has been through cancer treatment, that same bag can hold invisible weight that most of us never think about: anxiety about their health returning, changes in friendships, missed sport and learning, physical effects of treatment that linger long after the ward visits stop.
Alex Petrilli, Laura Cullinan and Michelle Regazzoli Stone
The scale of need is real
Childhood Cancer Ireland isn’t just raising awareness. The charity is actively in the thick of supporting families every day. In 2025 alone they provided 700 hours of Clinical Psychology, 390 hours of Play Therapy and around 300 peer-support engagements. A further 115 families received emotional-support assessments when they first came to the charity and 35 young people received educational support connected to their diagnosis or ongoing needs.
That’s a significant amount of support and it reflects just how persistent the impact of childhood cancer can be. According to the National Cancer Registry Ireland, 87% of children aged 0–15 diagnosed between 2011 and 2019 were still alive five years after diagnosis. That is genuinely hopeful news. It also means there are thousands of children and families out there navigating survivorship, with all the complexity that brings.
Michelle Regazzoli Stone, who is an ambassador for Childhood Cancer Ireland, attended the launch at Dundrum Town Centre. “As a mum, it’s impossible not to be moved by what children and families affected by childhood cancer go through,” she said. “What really struck me about ‘Things We Still Carry’ is how something as ordinary as a school bag can represent so much more — the worries, missed experiences and emotions that a child can continue to carry even after their treatment has finished.”
How you can get involved this September
If you can’t make it to Dundrum Town Centre before 7th September, there are still plenty of ways to show your support throughout the month. Childhood Cancer Ireland is encouraging communities all over Ireland to Go Gold — the international symbol of childhood cancer awareness — by wearing a gold ribbon, hosting a coffee morning, organising a fundraising event or holding a #GoGold day at your school or sports club.
The charity will also host its annual Light It Up Gold Walk on 12th September in Maynooth, Co. Kildare. It’s a day that brings together families, survivors, bereaved families and the wider community to stand in solidarity with everyone impacted by childhood cancer. If you’re looking for something meaningful to do with your family this month, it’s a truly special event.
You can also make a small donation directly at the Dundrum installation via a QR code on the display. Every euro raised supports Childhood Cancer Ireland’s services for children and families across Ireland. For more information visit www.childhoodcancer.ie.