0:00:02 > 0:00:06In 1996, BBC Northern Ireland broadcast A Woman In Twelve.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11It told the story of Deirdre Kee,
0:00:11 > 0:00:13who faced a diagnosis of breast cancer.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Long time, no see.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19I asked you last week if you would consider doing a double mastectomy,
0:00:19 > 0:00:23and I'm more convinced of that today than I was back then.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Deirdre had both breasts removed,
0:00:29 > 0:00:30but the cancer came back
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and viewers watched Deirdre cope with the devastating results.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Deirdre's programmes, very much
0:00:45 > 0:00:47brought cancer and cancer treatment
0:00:47 > 0:00:49a step further into the public consciousness.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52People said, I know what I'm going to have here,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54because I've seen what happened to Deirdre Kee.
0:00:54 > 0:00:55It' just to...
0:00:55 > 0:00:59drop this down... actually, I'm comfortable dropping it all down,
0:00:59 > 0:01:00if you people are.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03She obviously had a really good relationship with the camera crew,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06but to actually expose and show the scarring -
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I thought that was quite brave to do that.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16She really felt herself a partner in this programme,
0:01:16 > 0:01:17not just a contributor.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Deirdre Kee continued filming with the BBC for a second programme,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25right up until her death in 1998.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32If Deirdre were diagnosed nowadays,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34the chance of doing well would be higher.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37She might still be someone who would die of her disease,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39but the chance of doing well would clearly be better.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Now we revisit both these programmes,
0:01:42 > 0:01:46speak to those who took part in them to find out,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48when the cameras left, what happened next.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Those of you who know me will not be the least bit surprised that
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I should speak at my own funeral,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17but someone much wiser than I once said
0:02:17 > 0:02:20that if you want a job done properly, you should do-it-yourself.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24And besides, it gives me the opportunity to have the last word.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27For those of you who are exercising constraint
0:02:27 > 0:02:30and keeping a stiff upper lip in the mistaken belief that
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I wouldn't want you to cry, then please cut it out and let it rip.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35But the tears are not to be tears of sadness,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39but rather they should be tears of joy and celebration.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41In the summer of 1995,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Deirdre Kee - a part-time teacher in her early 40s -
0:02:45 > 0:02:47contacted the BBC.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50She was about to undergo treatment for breast cancer,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and offered to let a director film her experience.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58It was a brave, bold and generous offer,
0:02:58 > 0:02:59typical of Deirdre.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05My head very clearly says what needs to be done
0:03:05 > 0:03:07and I'm practical and sensible
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and, you know, deal with things that need to be done,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12in a very methodical manner
0:03:12 > 0:03:15and so my head has very clearly got the message.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Her youngest sister, Brona, who took part in the filming, no longer
0:03:27 > 0:03:31lives in Belfast, but 3,000 miles away in Oman,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33in the Middle East.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37So this is the rooftop.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41When we do have visitors, we tend to bring our sunbeds up here
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and umbrellas and a few plants to make it a little bit more
0:03:44 > 0:03:46exotic... tropical!
0:03:46 > 0:03:48As you can see we have the mountain range
0:03:48 > 0:03:51here at the back, which is the beauty of Oman.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52You get a bit of both.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56If you look over there, we have the sea view, which is lovely,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00and that's the beach that we would go down to and utilise.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I was around for a lot of the filming,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and you see a lot of shots of me in the background.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12This was 15 years ago and reality TV was not, sort of, the in-thing.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15So for her to do what she did
0:04:15 > 0:04:18was fairly groundbreaking, I think.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23It's not a very good quality one.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29'87-ish, because I was in London
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and Deirdre was in Laceys -
0:04:33 > 0:04:35the restaurant she owned.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37When I was growing up, Deirdre had left.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40She went to college, and then she went off to the States.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42I went to visit her when I was 15.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44I didn't know her that well,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48so we spent a summer together in the States, which was lovely,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and then, when she came back, she opened the Harvey restaurant.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54She worked there as manager, and I went in as a member of staff,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58so we worked closely then. Our relationship developed from there.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01She was very supportive of me, of anything I wanted to do.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I started up the aerobic business,
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and she came to all the classes,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08regardless of whether she was the only one in the class.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13- What's your date of birth, please? - 2-5-54.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- Do you have any religious denomination?- No.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- Marital status?- Single.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22The really unusual thing about Deirdre Kee
0:05:22 > 0:05:24was that she came to us,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26and that virtually never happens
0:05:26 > 0:05:28with key contributors for programmes.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32That was just the beginning of what turned out to be two programmes
0:05:32 > 0:05:37over the course of more than two years, which were,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40in many ways, among the easiest programmes I ever made.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45And it was partly because Deirdre was such a willing contributor.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48The decision I made last week still stands.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50So you want to go ahead and have the mastectomy operation tomorrow?
0:05:50 > 0:05:52That's right.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Deirdre was very much into the media most of her adult life.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59She taught media in college and she was very fascinated by it,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01so it was a natural progression for her to do that.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Bilateral mastectomy just means
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- removing both breasts, either side...- That's right.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08..and that's today's date.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11She was a very assertive person. There's no doubt about that.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12And highly opinionated.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16She knew what she wanted, she knew what she wanted to say,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18the message she wanted to get across.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23I would be a fool to even try to bluff my way on this one.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25In my very weak moments,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27like anyone who's vulnerable, yes, I am afraid.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I'm afraid of what it's going to do to me,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and I'm not talking about the physical, cosmetic imagery stuff.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I'm not talking about that.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41This is one of those life-changing experiences
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and I'm aware of it and I have absolute trust that
0:06:44 > 0:06:46whichever way it goes and however I change,
0:06:46 > 0:06:48the changes will all be appropriate
0:06:48 > 0:06:51and I'll be a better person for it.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00I think what she wanted to do initially, was to see if a programme
0:07:00 > 0:07:05could be made that followed her through her cancer treatment
0:07:05 > 0:07:08and to show people that this wasn't really anything
0:07:08 > 0:07:10to be too frightened about.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12That if you took the right attitude,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and you lived the right kind of lifestyle,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17that you could beat this.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20And I think that's what her original motivation was.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Can I see my size 38 A bra, please?
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- I can't believe this, Dee. - No, I mean...
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It's like the fisherman, you know... a likely tale!
0:07:30 > 0:07:32I was this big!
0:07:32 > 0:07:34There was a scene in the first programme,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37where she was sat on the bed with a mastectomy bra,
0:07:37 > 0:07:41and having a laugh with male and female friends who were
0:07:41 > 0:07:43visiting at the time, and that's how she dealt with it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48She turned it around, she addressed it and saw the funny side of it.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51I always thought Jane Fonda looked very painful, up there.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53She always looked... you know, you can probably tell
0:07:53 > 0:07:55because they're too perfect.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56Why are we getting into this?
0:08:00 > 0:08:03We've discussed in general, that chemotherapy is an appropriate
0:08:03 > 0:08:06thing to consider in someone in your age group.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- OK.- OK?
0:08:08 > 0:08:11The pattern of chemotherapy I would suggest, is giving you
0:08:11 > 0:08:14a combination of two particular drugs.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16Quite often, the biggest concern they have
0:08:16 > 0:08:18is that they might lose their hair.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The type of chemotherapy Deirdre had,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22she was virtually certain to lose her hair
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and we told her about that before she started chemotherapy.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28She knew in her head that was coming.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30It's still a terrible blow when it happens.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It's feeling sticky and tight
0:08:36 > 0:08:37and a nuisance,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40and so today, I've decided I'm going to wash it.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43She rang me up and said,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46"We're at the stage now where my hair is
0:08:46 > 0:08:48"going to fall out soon."
0:08:48 > 0:08:53It was a Sunday and I didn't have a crew available,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and I just said to her, "Don't wash your hair.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59"Don't wash your hair for a day or two, until I can get a crew."
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And she said, "That's fine."
0:09:02 > 0:09:05TREMBLING SIGH
0:09:30 > 0:09:32She had a very small bathroom, and the cameraman had to set
0:09:32 > 0:09:36up his camera in the bath, and we rehearsed the way she'd do it,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41but, you know, you sometimes need to do that to get things properly,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44and you know, in the end, that sequence was very, very powerful.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46SNIFFING BACK TEARS
0:09:46 > 0:09:48It's actually
0:09:48 > 0:09:51a better shape than I thought it was going to be.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54It's still hard to...
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Oh, yeah, it's flaky.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06This is where the department store or the organisation of the company...
0:10:06 > 0:10:09The documentary followed Deirdre's treatment
0:10:09 > 0:10:12and her return to work for several more months.
0:10:12 > 0:10:19Broadcast in December 1986, the programme ended on a note of hope.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21I feel great up here.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I know I look great, you know.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26There's no real damage done.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30So we'll give that some thought. But as I said, it's in the future,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32so I don't want to think about it at the moment.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Right now it's Christmas, it's my favourite time of the year.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39I want to think about getting ready for Christmas and enjoying it
0:10:39 > 0:10:41and looking forward to 1997.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Reaction to the programme was universally positive.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Individual viewers, cancer charities
0:10:51 > 0:10:56and the press all praised Deirdre Kee's immense courage.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58One television reviewer wrote,
0:10:58 > 0:11:03"She wasn't so much a Woman In Twelve as a woman in a million.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06A lot of people were uplifted by seeing how Deirdre coped
0:11:06 > 0:11:09with her illness. A lot of people came to me, saying,
0:11:09 > 0:11:11"I know about chemotherapy, I've seen that programme."
0:11:11 > 0:11:15A lot said, "I know a bit about you, I've seen you in that programme."
0:11:15 > 0:11:18And that's also quite often reassuring for patients.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21People believe that if you're on television, you must be good.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24That programme was nominated
0:11:24 > 0:11:27for a Royal Television Society documentary award,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29a national award.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32And we went over to London, Deidre and I,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and a couple of other people who were involved in the production,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and all the way through the evening as it was building up
0:11:38 > 0:11:42to the presentation of that award, and we were just nominated,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47Deidre just kept saying, you know, "What are you worried about, Bruce?
0:11:47 > 0:11:49"We're going to win this. We're going to win this."
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I said, "Well, there are other good programmes here too."
0:11:52 > 0:11:55"I'm telling you, there's absolutely no doubt we're going to..."
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And that's just the way she was. And of course, we did.
0:11:58 > 0:11:59And she said, "I told you."
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Deidre Kee was now more and more in the public eye.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12She was named Wonder Woman Of The Year,
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and relished her prize at a health farm.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Good health seemed assured.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24For me, it's really just all about R and R, resting and relaxing.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Focusing on yourself and taking care of yourself.
0:12:28 > 0:12:29We kept in touch.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I saw her from time to time, and she was doing really well.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36And then she just got in touch one day and said, "It's back."
0:12:42 > 0:12:46We thought, "Let's just carry on filming and see what happens."
0:12:48 > 0:12:51The first programme was very much a practical journey.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54She stepped up to the plate and she knew she had to deal with something
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and she dealt with it, and that was obvious in the first programme.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03INSTRUCTOR: Step right. Both arms down.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07The second programme moved through to the spiritual journey
0:13:07 > 0:13:10that she probably didn't realise that she was going to embark on.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- It was just the way it happened. - INSTRUCTOR: Right hand down.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16One of the key sequences in programme two
0:13:16 > 0:13:23was when Deirdre had to visit the hospital for a further consultation
0:13:23 > 0:13:24with Seamus McAleer.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Oh, my goodness...
0:13:26 > 0:13:29We were made fairly aware in advance
0:13:29 > 0:13:35that Deirdre was going to be getting some pretty difficult news that day.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37How are you keeping?
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Well... Just hurry up, Seamus.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45She said, "Look, when I get the scan, I want you to talk to me about the result on TV."
0:13:45 > 0:13:47And I said to her, "You know, we could do it twice.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52"Tell you for real, and then tell you later on TV for the cameras."
0:13:52 > 0:13:54And she said, "No. I want the real thing."
0:13:54 > 0:13:56You had the MRI of liver done.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I have spoken with Dr Foster,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02and he is quite certain that there's been a change in the liver,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04that there's some disease present in the liver.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- OK. - SHE EXHALES HEAVILY
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Now, it's not a great deal of change overall.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12In other words, it'll act like normal liver there.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16But you have areas is in the liver that do represent a spread
0:14:16 > 0:14:18of breast disease.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I'm disappointed to be telling you that. I know you are...
0:14:21 > 0:14:23'This is one of those moments
0:14:23 > 0:14:26'that I'll never forget till my dying day.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Even now just talking about it,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30I can feel a shiver going down my spine.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36To be in a consulting room
0:14:36 > 0:14:41at the moment when a patient is largely being told
0:14:41 > 0:14:44there's nothing more that can be done for them...
0:14:44 > 0:14:46SEAMUS: I think it's very important...
0:14:46 > 0:14:48'It was actually quite hard to concentrate'
0:14:48 > 0:14:52on the filming side of it, because you were really caught up
0:14:52 > 0:14:53in the emotion of the moment.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55SHE BREATHES HEAVILY
0:14:57 > 0:15:01I'm going to take treatment. I mean, there's no question about that.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09If I...
0:15:09 > 0:15:10If I take any treatment...
0:15:10 > 0:15:14I mean, when I take treatment, I presume you're talking about eight more treatments
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- or however many it's going to take. - Yes, uh-huh.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- It will improve my chances? - Quite definitely.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I would give you a different type of chemotherapy you haven't had before,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26give you a drug called Taxotere,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- it's one of the relatively newer chemotherapy drugs.- OK.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31A lot of people will tolerate that drug quite well.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35By and large, it's fairly well tolerated. And for a certain proportion of people,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37they will get a very definite response,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39get things back under control
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and, you know, get back to good general health
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and can remain well for a further period of time.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Get back under control, does that mean...
0:15:48 > 0:15:50I mean, are we talking remission?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54What I would be hoping to do is to get the disease well shrunk down,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58get it that it is shrunken down and stable and then see how things go.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02And in that situation, if we do get a response to treatment,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04that can remain at bay,
0:16:04 > 0:16:09it can remain keeping you well for a good many number of months.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17SHE SIGHS I don't want to hear that.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I'm not blaming you...
0:16:19 > 0:16:21'You have to try and concentrate'
0:16:21 > 0:16:24on what you were doing as a job, but it was quite difficult
0:16:24 > 0:16:29because this was really, you know, just one of those...
0:16:29 > 0:16:33you know, harrowing moments in anyone's career
0:16:33 > 0:16:36that you really hope not to have to repeat.
0:16:37 > 0:16:43There's a lot of questions I need to ask you, there's a lot of stuff I need to talk about, but...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- I just can't do it today.- That's OK.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47You're welcome to come back and chat to me any time you want to.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50We'll arrange that over the next few days.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I won't be starting you on any further treatment
0:16:53 > 0:16:54until you're happy.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56And then we packed up and we left,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and we were probably about 20 minutes or so, I suppose,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03after Deirdre had left, and we walked out into the waiting room...
0:17:03 > 0:17:05And there was Deidre sitting there.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I mean, we thought, you know, she was in bits when she left,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10we thought she'd go straight home.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And there she was, sitting in the consulting room with her sister.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15And I said, "I didn't expect you to still be here."
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And she said, "I was just wondering if you might want to speak to me
0:17:18 > 0:17:24"about, you know, anything else, based on what's just happened."
0:17:25 > 0:17:28And I thought, you know, "After what's just happened to you,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30"after the news you've just got,
0:17:30 > 0:17:35"you're still thinking about what you can do that's best for the programme."
0:17:38 > 0:17:39LIFT: Going down...
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Breaking bad news is something that we teach medical students.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52The scene what I informed Deidre about her diagnosis,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I am aware that that has been used in other places within Queen's,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00where people have been told exactly how they should break bad news.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Whereas I can try this out on a lot of different people,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05for the patient, you only tell them their bad news once.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08And if you do it badly, you can devastate them.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12CAR DOOR SLAMS
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- SEAMUS ON TV:- The treatment is a kind of afterthought....
0:18:17 > 0:18:21'That sequence in the house with her making her lunch,
0:18:21 > 0:18:22'we didn't do any more filming'
0:18:22 > 0:18:26with her after that, because basically she went into hospital
0:18:26 > 0:18:30very quickly after that. I mean, she just, you know, um...
0:18:30 > 0:18:33deteriorated extremely rapidly.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36MELANCHOLIC PIANO MUSIC
0:18:36 > 0:18:39She phoned my sister the night she was sick...
0:18:42 > 0:18:47..in the early hours of the morning and asked to come and pick her up and bring her to hospital.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53The medical staff kept saying, "It's imminent."
0:18:53 > 0:18:56So we called everybody to the room and she lasted another day,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57and then another day.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03I was speaking to Deidre this morning.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Sadly, although she is alert and I can talk to her and so on,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10she is finding it difficult.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12I think her condition is slowly getting worse.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20'There's no way we were going to go into the hospital ward and'
0:19:20 > 0:19:24try and get a few words with her when, as Seamus McAleer was saying,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28she was really finding it quite difficult even to get her thoughts together and to get any words out.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And Deidre had to be fairly ill to be like that.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38She seemed to wait until everybody had come in and said their bit to her.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41And then we were all in the room, and she finally passed away.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Deidre had been a big part of my life for about two-and-a-half years,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52and she was such a big character
0:19:52 > 0:19:57that not having her about any more, you know, left quite a hole.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02And, yeah, I was emotionally drained, I have to say.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10Deidre died at the end of June, 1998.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14The second programme was broadcast three months later,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16the title taken from a line in her diary.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25DISTANT CHANTING
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Today Deidre's sister Brona has a well-established life in Muscat,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34the capital of Oman.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39But she hasn't entirely forgotten her roots.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I'm chairperson of the Irish Society,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and tonight is our St Patrick's Day Ball.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48It's an annual event that is mainly for the Irish community,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but we have lots of friends,
0:20:50 > 0:20:54so we're expecting about 330 people tonight.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59It takes a lot of organisation in trying to pull a lot of things together,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02because we try to get stuff over from Ireland.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04We had an Irish community,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06but wanted to try and make it a bit more official.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11So I got the Irish community together, and we organised a logo,
0:21:11 > 0:21:16and we put a committee together, and then I got the job
0:21:16 > 0:21:20as chairperson by default, because, like my sister, I'm a bit gobby.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22SHE LAUGHS
0:21:24 > 0:21:27In Belfast, Seamus McAleer remains at the forefront
0:21:27 > 0:21:29of cancer treatment.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33He's widely regarded as Northern Ireland's top cancer specialist.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36There's a brand-new, purpose-built cancer centre,
0:21:36 > 0:21:38which we're sitting in today.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And that cancer centre makes it much easier to treat people.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45We've got a massive big day patient facility now for giving chemotherapy as an out-patient.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48In Deidre's time, a lot of chemo was in-patient.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49It's virtually all out-patient now.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55'In the time from I started with Deidre till now,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58'we have very much formalised the role of oncology or cancer
0:21:58 > 0:22:00'in the medical student curriculum.'
0:22:00 > 0:22:03At screening, there showed up an abnormality...
0:22:03 > 0:22:05'They all get a fortnight on oncology now.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07'We have key things we want to teach them about cancer.'
0:22:07 > 0:22:09There's a lot more they need to know
0:22:09 > 0:22:12about managing patients who turn up with problems due to cancer
0:22:12 > 0:22:14or, in fact, due to its treatment.
0:22:14 > 0:22:19Whenever we look at women, and ask what cancers might they get,
0:22:19 > 0:22:22by far and away the most common substantial cancer is to get breast cancer.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Nowadays, we think about one women in nine will get breast cancer,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29and that's gone up every decade for the last while.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It's becoming more common as the years go on.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35The benefit for the new drugs
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and for all the things we have done in breast cancer
0:22:38 > 0:22:41is a real improvement in the outcomes for cancer patients.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45We now have over 80% of women surviving five years
0:22:45 > 0:22:47after diagnosis of breast cancer.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51That used to be 50, 60% if you go back a generation.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53If Deidre were diagnosed nowadays,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56the chance of her doing well would be higher.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59She might still be someone who would die from disease,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02but the chance of doing well would clearly be better.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09IRISH FIDDLE EMANATES FROM BALLROOM
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Well done, ladies, looks lovely.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Perfect.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Deidre was the traveller in the family.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26She would have come over for St Patrick's Day.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Thank you, sweetheart, and same to you. Happy St Patrick's Day.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34All right, no problem.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37'She was the type of person that just loved to be socialising.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40'She was a great person that loved Northern Ireland.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44'She loved the chat and she loved the dressing up.'
0:23:44 > 0:23:48'She didn't get to do it much, so when she did, she went all-out.'
0:23:49 > 0:23:53She was really glad to get to the Rock And Pop Awards,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and that's in the second programme.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58She was really excited when Bruce said to her,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and she invited me along, so she was thrilled.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03She wanted to go and see it anyway,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06but because Ronan Keating was there, whose mother had just passed away.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09# Everybody hurts...#
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Just to talk to him, because they had started up some kind of charity in her name.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16# So you hold on... #
0:24:16 > 0:24:20So we spent the night with Ronan Keating and his family. And it was a lovely night.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23They had lots of things to talk about from the charity point of view
0:24:23 > 0:24:26and what they were trying to do for breast cancer.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30# Hold on... #
0:24:30 > 0:24:32CHATTERING
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Ladies and gentlemen, cead mile failte romhat.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42A hundred thousand welcomes to you all on our national day of St Patrick.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43APPLAUSE
0:24:43 > 0:24:47And of course, the ball wouldn't be a success if there wasn't any of you here,
0:24:47 > 0:24:49so give yourself a round of applause.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- APPLAUSE AND CHEERING - And a cheer!
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Perhaps the greatest change has come to the producer of the documentaries.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03After 26 years at the BBC,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Bruce Batten no longer works in television.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08'All the years I was in broadcasting,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'going out into the garden was always my release from the pressures
0:25:11 > 0:25:14'of programme making.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17'So when I decided to have a change of career,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'it was pretty natural for me to head towards the garden again.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:25I have trained in garden design
0:25:25 > 0:25:28and done some courses in general horticulture,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and I've designed and built a few gardens,
0:25:32 > 0:25:33and now I'm teaching as well.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37'A big part of teaching is learning.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41'I mean, there's an awful lot of prep that goes into the classes that I teach.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44'So I find that fantastic.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49'But I also really get a great buzz out of being able to transfer
0:25:49 > 0:25:52'what I know to other people,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56'and see, you know, them getting ever more enthusiastic
0:25:56 > 0:25:58'about the things that I'm interested in.'
0:26:00 > 0:26:03What happened as we went on
0:26:03 > 0:26:08is that Deidre in her own way became more and more spiritual.
0:26:10 > 0:26:17And there was one occasion when she read out a small poem to us...
0:26:18 > 0:26:22..that, again, looked on the positive side of life.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29And I just thought when we started editing, saw that and thought,
0:26:29 > 0:26:30"That would be a good way to end,"
0:26:30 > 0:26:34because while Deidre didn't have a happy outcome in the end,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38she would still want people who might be in that condition
0:26:38 > 0:26:41to try and think favourably about their lives.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46"I ask God for strength that I might achieve.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49"I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52"I asked for help that I might do greater things.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55"I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57"I asked for riches that I might be happy.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00"I was given poverty that I might be wise.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02"I ask for all things that I might enjoy life.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06"I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08"I was given nothing that I'd asked for
0:27:08 > 0:27:10"but everything that I'd hoped for.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13"Despite myself, my prayers were answered.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15"I am among all men most richly blessed."
0:27:17 > 0:27:18Isn't that fabulous?
0:27:18 > 0:27:21MELANCHOLIC PIANO MUSIC
0:27:23 > 0:27:29I remember a few weeks after she had passed,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and Friday is our Sunday in Saudi. Their weekends are different.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35And I was having a really bad, low day.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40And I was having a bath and I was crying and feeling sorry for myself.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45And I got out of the bath and I walked up to my window.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50And...was crying. And the next thing, I felt these arms round me,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54giving me a big hug. And I started laughing.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Because she was either telling me to wise up
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and move away from the window,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02or she was giving me a hug to say, "It's going to be all right."
0:28:02 > 0:28:04And it is.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08She paved the way for us, she did what she could for us,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10to make it easier for us.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13And hopefully for other people who watch the programme.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd