The Mercy Hospital Foundation, with the help of Cork’s own celebrity doctor, Dr Pixie McKenna, is calling on companies, schools and individuals to join the inaugural Jeans4Genes Day on Friday 24th October and raise funds for genetic research that will change lives in our communities.

By donning a pair of your favourite jeans, or getting involved in a denim themed event, you will help to fund research that will change the way the Mercy Hospital treats and cares for cancer patients in the future. 

In Ireland 30,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed by the end of 2014 and that number is expected to rise to over 40,000 by 2020. The future of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment is in the gene. Led by Dr Derek Power, Consultant Oncologist at the Mercy Hospital, funds raised through Jeans4Genes Day will be used to predict reoccurrence of bowel cancer for patients who are being treated for the disease by performing a simple test. This will enable personalised cancer treatment for patients with bowel cancer, helping them and their doctors to make more informed decisions about whether or not to pursue additional treatment, such as chemotherapy.

Dr Power explains “The fundamental problem with everything to do with cancer is genetic. We are very excited to be embarking on genetics research to help patients predict their risk of cancer and predict benefit from treatment (from chemotherapy) for cancer.”

The Mercy Hospital Foundation is inviting people from all walks of life to join in the fun on October 24th, so whether you’re planning a day in your jeans, a blue bake sale, a double denim fashion show, or a ‘jeanius’ quiz there’s a way to get involved; simply register your interest at www.mercyfundraising.ie.

Dr Pixie McKenna, who is best known for her work on Channel 4’s Embarrassing Bodies, is lending her support to the inaugural Jeans4Genes Day. She said “As a Cork native, I am delighted to lend my support to Jeans4Genes Day which will change lives at a hospital that is so close to my own heart. The Mercy has always had patient care at the heart of its activities, and this ground breaking genetics research is another example of it being a progressive hospital that is advancing new treatments and research.”

She continued “I’m urging the people of Cork and Munster to hold a Jeans4Genes Day fundraiser to advance the future of cancer care, to affect real change, and to help more people to battle cancer successfully. None of us know when we could be affected by cancer and may need these services for ourselves or family members.”

Speaking about the rationale behind Jeans4Genes Day, Micheál Sheridan, CEO, The Mercy Hospital Foundation said “Our mission is to support the Hospital in delivering the highest quality of patient care by raising funds to support advancements and innovation in the treatment and care of patients at the Mercy Hospital, the People’s Hospital. We promise to do our very best to provide you with a world class hospital, right on your doorstep, and this is only possible through the help of our supporters and donors, like those who join us on October 24th and show us what their jeans are made of!”

For your individual, school or company information pack, register at www.mercyfundraising.ie or by calling (021) 4274076.