"Gerry stopped me smoking."  "I was inspired by Gerry, smoke-free since 2015."  "Your dad is an inspiration."  These are just a sample of the many, many texts that flooded into The Ryan Tubridy Show when Lisa Collins came by to speak about her father Gerry who died of lung cancer in 2014, aged 57.  Gerry featured in a powerful anti-smoking campaign that grabbed the attention and the hearts of people around the country when he shared the story of his terminal diagnosis and the reality of what he was leaving behind as a result of his smoking habit.  Lisa has written a book about her father, entitled 'The Man Who Moved The Nation' and recounts the story of the person behind the famous HSE QUIT campaign.

"There was nothing to be done really then at that stage," Lisa said to Ryan of her dad's diagnosis.  Broken ribs had masked the pain of a tumour and by the time the family became aware of Gerry's condition, it was already too late to treat.  "It's pretty huge news to get."

Gerry had worked in a fast-paced recruitment firm, smoking up to 60 a day and celebrating closing deals with pints after work and more cigarettes.  Around the age of 47, he decided it was time for a radical life overhaul and cut both the booze and the cigarettes.  "He just really embraced the healthier side of life and kind of just lived on the Happy Pear cookbook," said Lisa.  However, his former habits caught up with him in 2011 when he battled throat cancer and then again in 2013 when he was given his terminal diagnosis.

So what is it like to hear that tragic news about your father?

"It's like time pressure then isn't it, you know you've got an end time…  It does all sorts of funny things…  I suppose there's just this sense… that if you're not there I feel guilty that I didn't go or I missed something or I should have been there, or if I'm out enjoying something or out with the girls and I'm laughing but I know at home my dad's dying, there's just this underlying guilt you know that's just there all the time."

Lisa was able to be with her dad as he passed away and said she found great peace and comfort in that moment with him.  She is proud of her father's strength throughout his illness and how generously he shared his experience for the good of others and found channelling her emotions into a book an important part of her grieving process.  She's also keen to promote the quit.ie website for those inspired to give up the cigarettes for good.

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