{"id":298479,"date":"2026-01-22T23:16:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T23:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/298479\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T23:16:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T23:16:21","slug":"breast-cancer-advocate-ziva-cussen-24-remembered-at-funeral-three-years-after-diagnosis-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/298479\/","title":{"rendered":"Breast cancer advocate Ziva Cussen (24) remembered at funeral three years after diagnosis \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breast cancer<\/a> campaigner Ziva Cussen (24), who died from the disease on Saturday, has been remembered at her funeral as someone who \u201ccourageously used her voice to support others\u201d.<\/p>\n

Ms Cussen was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2023 at the age of 21. <\/p>\n

She cofounded the advocacy group Too Young to be Heard, which called for more urgency around care for younger diagnosed women. Breast cancer is more commonly found among those over 50.<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of her diagnosis, Ms Cussen had described finding a small lump in early 2023 and going to her GP, after which she was referred to a clinic for an appointment five weeks later. <\/p>\n

However, after the initial appointment, she waited over seven months for an ultrasound, by which time the cancer had spread.<\/p>\n

At her funeral on Thursday in St Mary\u2019s Church, Drogheda, Co Louth Ms Cussen had requested people wear sunset colours at her funeral to lighten their spirits and that her closest friends bring forward symbols of her life.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Initial breathlessness turned out to be incurable cancer: \u2018My initial reaction was shock\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Her friend, Niamh, explained the symbols including a book with photographs of the people she loved, and a camera she used to \u201ccapture life\u2019s moments, big and small\u201d.<\/p>\n

Her tan drops and eyelashes were \u201ca reflection of her golden glow\u2026 her beauty was so evident on the outside, and even more so in her kindness, warmth, and the way she made others feel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Other symbols included art materials she used \u201cto express herself\u201d when she became unwell, her dog Koa\u2019s collar and her passport to reflect her love for travel.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Ziva\u2019s own words: \u2018If there\u2019s something you want to do, get up and do it now. Don\u2019t wait for the right time, because the time might not come\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n

Finally, a placard which read \u201cnever too young\u201d was brought to the altar as a symbol of her advocacy. <\/p>\n

\u201cZiva courageously used her voice to support others,\u201d Niamh said. \u201cThe amazing work she carried out will continue to help and support people. Her advocacy was a true reflection of her passion, courage and commitment to making a difference.\u201d <\/p>\n

Parish priest Fr Derek Ryan said Ms Cussen \u201cgave so much of her time to everyone, raising awareness through TikTok stories and Instagram posts\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe wanted better healthcare for everyone. I think that\u2019s why she touched so many lives\u201d. <\/p>\n

He noted that had been lovingly cared for by her family who showed her \u201csecurity, warmth and belonging\u201d.<\/p>\n

She is survived by her parents Jim and Marcelle and sister Lainey and extended family. <\/p>\n

Following her death, Breast Cancer Ireland posted a statement online saying Cussen was \u201cunwavering in her commitment to raising awareness that breast cancer can and does affect young women\u201d.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Breast cancer diagnoses increase 26% in women under-50Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cShe gave every ounce of strength she had to sharing her story, determined that no young woman should feel unheard, dismissed or alone. Her voice helped shine a light on the urgent need for earlier diagnosis, better awareness and age-appropriate care,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breast cancer campaigner Ziva Cussen (24), who died from the disease on Saturday, has been remembered at her…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":298480,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[110,18,117,19,17],"class_list":{"0":"post-298479","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-cancer","9":"tag-eire","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-ie","12":"tag-ireland"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115941302868555876","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}