A talk/performance in words, song, movement and chat currently being written live on Substack and to be performed by Ciarán Fenton (64), leadership consultant, board facilitator & author who has never performed, and is in remission from mantle cell lymphoma since 2022.
Participants will be invited to donate to the four cancer charities in Northern Ireland that supported Ciaran directly during his treatment at Belfast City Hospital. Ciarán wants especially to celebrate the science and those who cared for him; to raise awareness in the medical profession generally of the importance of integrating the management of mental trauma more fully during chemotherapy and to promote the funding of health services as an “S” focus in the environment, society and governance (ESG) agenda in businesses.
‘That’s you’ is a phrase commonly used in Northern Ireland when something is completed. Ciarán heard it, as a balming blessing by his nurses, a “million times” during treatment.
Tickets are free in lieu of donating to one or more of the charities that supported him:
Cancer Focus NI – for providing Ciarán and family with excellent cancer counselling. Donate here.
Friends of the Cancer Centre – care and kindness shown at 10 North/Bridgewater Centre at Belfast City Hospital. Donate here.
Macmillan Cancer Support – helping Ciaran to recover physically in the gym at the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen. Donate here.
Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI – Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI is the only charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to funding blood cancer research. Its main objective is to improve survival rates and quality of life for patients by supporting clinicians, scientists, and students who are researching leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and related conditions in Northern Ireland. It’s a favourite of Ciarán’s haematologist – a special man, leader, and clinician. Donate here.
Ciarán was diagnosed in February 2022 with mantle cell lymphoma and in remission since November 2022. He had massive splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) and large pleural effusions at diagnosis, requiring a chest drain; subsequently, he developed an empyema (a build-up of pus), which required surgery. He had suspected TB treated as a precaution and received treatment to complete remission with chemotherapy (Nordic Protocol) and had a stem cell transplant using his own stem cells following BEAM conditioning consisting of six days of high-dose chemotherapy.
His treatment consisted of four in-patient sessions lasting two to three weeks, or more, and three out-patient sessions. Much of his treatment was in isolation without visitors due to COVID. He needed regular blood transfusions. He has maintenance treatment every eight weeks to end three years from the transplant i.e. November 2025.
He found the experience at Belfast City Hospital’s Bridgewater and 10 North centres wonderful because of the amazing doctors, nurses and staff and mind-boggling science (“I’m alive”), funny (“hilariously at times”) and traumatic (“deeply”).
Ciarán was born in Cork. He had never spent much time in Belfast. After over a year of treatment and from the 10th floor of the iconic gold building that is Belfast City Hospital he came to love its people, streets, and heart. The experience changed him, utterly. One friend said that he had found a richer version of myself (“I have”).
Ciarán Fenton is a leadership consultant, board facilitator and writer/speaker on managing relationships at work, on ESG and on creating sustainable organisations.
He facilitates improved decision-making on senior leadership teams and boards by exploring the interdependence between personal and organisational purpose, strategy and behaviour (PSB).
During his early career he held senior business leadership roles at Hachette, ITN, Pearson and The Guardian Media Group in which he was involved in change programmes.
Ciarán is a mentor at London Business School’s Entrepreneurship Summer School, and visiting lecturer at LBS, LSE, CISL and QUB.
In 2022 he was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma, had extensive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant leading to remission. He feels that experience changed him, his purpose and his approach to his work including his recently published book The Modern In-house Lawyer: Optimising Relationships for Growth & Success in an ESG Environment (Globe Law & Business, 2023), which he wrote during treatment.
He is working on his next book Most Mondays: How to Find Peace at work Most of the Time, from your First Job to your Last.
Ciarán holds a business degree from the National University of Ireland, Cork. He is married to the writer Marian Garvey. They have two adult children.
NB. PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE.
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