Laura Brennan: This Is Me documentary maker Sinead Kennedy shares a tribute to HPV vaccine advocate, Laura Brennan, on the fifth anniversary of her death.
Remembering the incomparable Laura Brennan. How do you even begin to put that into words? Frankly, I do not know where to start.
From the first moment I saw Laura Brennan give an interview on the Six One, I was captivated by her; by her attitude, her style, by everything. She exuded personality and I had to know more about this girl.
As luck would have it, she appeared on The Late Late Show that same night, speaking candidly about her cervical cancer diagnosis - her experience with the illness and how she was dealing with it all.
Her attitude to death was refreshing; she was not going to live like there was a "ticking bomb" over her head, instead she was living her life to the full as there was "craic to be had" despite her terminal illness. But it was not just her outlook on life that resonated, it was her genuine desire to help others.
How many people, when it comes down to it, would willingly sacrifice the time and energy they could be spending with their loved ones to help people they’ve never met? And yet that is exactly what she did.
I reached out to Laura through her DMs on Instagram. We joked about how she used to watch S@ttitude (my first TV presenting gig back in the day), which instantly made me feel ancient, but at the same time it was great that she recognised me.
I thought perhaps it made my contacting her feel that little bit less random, or perhaps that made it all the more bizarre, who knows! But Laura’s story and her advocacy work for the HPV vaccine needed to be documented - and I really wanted to work with her to do just that.
In no time at all, we swapped numbers and arranged to meet. Laura recommended a local coffee place in her home of Co. Clare, and we just clicked immediately. It was like meeting someone I had known all my life.
Asking someone to share their personal story is one thing, but asking someone whose time is limited is a lot, but Laura was excited by the prospect.
For Laura, family and friends were the top priority. They were always at the forefront of her mind as well as her dog, Bailey, who was spoiled and loved beyond measure.
Laura loved hard, and was extremely driven and independent. She knew what she wanted and she got it. You’d never find her without her glam on. She loved all things beauty and her makeup was always immaculate - even in her hospital bed. That was just who she was.
Laura wasn’t getting all done up because we were going be filming with her, that was her regardless. To say she was obsessed with The Greatest Showman and watched it on repeat is an understatement. She was generous, stubborn, courageous, articulate, brutally honest, and so much fun!
She loved a good night out dancing the night away with her friends. Some of the stories she regaled us with, which of course would never be repeated (sorry!), demonstrated her wild side, but more than that, they were a stark reminder that she was a young woman - only 26 years old. She should have had her whole life ahead of her.
The Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up programme gives people who were eligible but may have missed out on the vaccine in school a chance to get this safe and effective vaccine, and pays tribute to Laura's dedication and tireless efforts. #ThankYouLaura.https://t.co/Mf9nZeZQ3F pic.twitter.com/zbbCmpxPaq
— HSE Ireland (@HSELive) December 8, 2022
Laura often said that she was born with a voice and she was determined to use it for the good of others. She became that trustworthy voice that people could rely on when misinformation surrounding the HPV vaccine threatened the uptake rates.
One of the primary reasons she agreed to filming the documentary was that she wanted to ensure that no other family would suffer like her own. Putting herself forward as an advocate for the HPV vaccine was not without its consequences; she was sent countless abusive messages online, and yet her main concern was that her family would not see them as she did not want to compound their suffering.
Making documentaries of this nature leaves a mark. I always knew that it would affect me but I guess I hadn’t realised the extent to which that would be the case.
Despite not knowing Laura for half as long as I would have liked to, we became close. Late night chats over Whatsapp (we were both night owls) became the norm. The depth of the conversations we were having whilst making the doc, and the kinds of questions we were asking, ultimately meant that I knew things about Laura that I couldn’t tell you about my own family.
She was such a force and - I don’t say this lightly - she was extraordinary. I wish I had the opportunity to spend more time with her but feel privileged to have worked with her and to have known her at all.
Today marks five years since Laura’s passing and my life has changed a lot in that time. These days, I’m up to my neck in nappies and the chaos and sleep deprivation that comes with having two smallies, but it’s a joy and I don’t take a second for granted - not one second - because no day is guaranteed.
Laura taught me a lot of things, but how to be present and enjoy life, and to acknowledge that it is a privilege to have it, is something I’ll always be thankful for. I think too often we get caught up in the minutiae of everyday life and the stresses that come with that instead of stopping to enjoy it and take it all in because, remember, there is craic to be had.
Admittedly, I have always found it difficult to articulate the profound impact that working with Laura had on me. That’s just me, I'm only one person whose life she changed for the better, but there are thousands and thousands of young girls and boys, young men and women all over the country (and much further afield) whose lives will forever be transformed because of the work Laura did and that the Brennan family continue to do in her honour.
At the age of 26, Laura Brennan passed away from #CervicalCancer, a vaccine-preventable disease.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 9, 2024
"The HPV vaccine saves lives. It could have saved hers."
Bernie and Larry narrate the heartbreaking loss of their daughter.
This is their story 👇 pic.twitter.com/s9Mg4eXlQu
Laura Brennan left her mark on this world and that’s a legacy that I’m sure she would be so very proud of. #ThankYouLaura
Thinking of her mom and dad Bernie & Larry, and her brothers Colin, Fergal & Kevin (and not forgetting Bailey), as well as her extended family and friends always but especially today.
