Late Late Toy Show star Saoírse Ruane is set to undergo a “fight of her life” operation on Tuesday.
The nine-year-old from Athenry, Co Galway, will receive life-saving surgery to remove a tumour on her lung.
Saoírse first appeared on the Late Late Show in 2020 where she shared the story of how she lost her right leg to cancer and learned to walk on a new prosthetic leg.
The girl has since become a regular guest on the RTÉ show and helped launch Toy Show: The Musical on Friday.
Sharing the news on social media, Saoírse's mother, Roseanna, said: “As with Saoírse’s previous tumour in her tibia, this tumour is rare in its position and is located in her lung.”
Update ? pic.twitter.com/tSrdA0foid
— Saoírse and Mamma (@Saoirseandmamma) May 15, 2022
“The tears rolled down our cheeks as we sat and listened to the risks involved but we have faith in our team and we leave them now to take care of our very special girl.”
Roseanna said the family was “very frightened” ahead of the “major surgery”, and for Saoirse it would be “the fight of her life”.
“We ask you to please keep Saoírse in your hearts as we go forward now and take this first step in a long road to keep her where she truly belongs…here with us.”
The Toy Show star's mother went on to thank followers for all the “messages, prayers, candles, words of encouragement, relics, mass cards and gifts.”
“The love you have all shown us has been astounding,” she wrote.
Last year, Saoírse's parents Roseanna and Ollie spoke to The Irish Examiner about their struggles with infertility and cancer. Ollie has battled testicular cancer, and their second daughter, Farrah-Rose, was conceived through IVF.
“As a family, we have had to fight a lot, from Ollie’s cancer diagnosis through seven years of infertility to Saoírse's cancer diagnosis and the various treatments to save her life,” Roseanna said at the time.
“In all those fights, we were so thankful to have Saoirse and Farrah-Rose.”
