Paul Mescal’s mother Dearbhla Mescal became visibly emotional as she described her cancer diagnosis as a “gift”, breaking down in tears while reflecting on how the illness transformed the way she saw herself — and her life.
The Irish author was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, four years ago at the age of 53.
Now 57, Dearbhla is two years post stem cell transplant and is currently in remission.
“It Allowed Me to Begin Again”
Having recently released her book Finding Joy, Dearbhla appeared on Begin Again with Davina McCall last week, where she spoke candidly about how cancer forced her to stop — and start again.
She revealed her diagnosis came at a pivotal moment in her life, just as she was approaching retirement.
“For me, the gift that cancer was, was that I could begin again,” she said through tears.
“I could begin again. Literally hair gone. New hair is going to come back. And I was in stem cell treatment, so my whole blood was being renewed.”
Describing the physical and emotional reset she experienced, Dearbhla continued:
“I was literally starting again from my blood — from scratch. I kind of said, ‘This is a serious gift.’ I had to re-engage with myself.”
“It Stopped Me in My Tracks”
Rather than grieving her illness, Dearbhla said it forced her to reassess everything.
“I didn’t grieve cancer. I still to this day believe cancer was gifted to me. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it stopped me in my tracks.
“It made me refocus. It made me grateful for my body. It made me grateful to be able to hold my skin, to inject it, to embrace my belly.”
She first realised something was wrong when she began experiencing pain in her arm, followed by frequent illness.
“My immune system was breaking down. I was catching everything. I knew this was more than just being a tired mum.
“I was working full-time and something was wrong. I remember thinking I was going to die. I didn’t know what cancer I had — but my mind went to the darkest place.”
“I Fell in Love With Myself”
Dearbhla recalled a pivotal moment during treatment while away with her husband Paul, when she emerged from the sea and saw herself differently for the first time.
“This was me, fully and completely me in my skin. I could see Dearbhla — the whole woman who had been gifted three children and who had fought with her body her whole life.”
She spoke openly about years of struggling with body image.
“Always too big, never too small, trying to fit into uniforms, into expectations. And suddenly this body I’d been fighting my whole life — I loved her.”
She added:
“I fell in love with myself. That was the gift of cancer for me. I fell in love with her strength. I saw beyond the wrinkles. There was huge joy in that. Huge, huge joy.”
Paul Mescal’s Emotional Response
Dearbhla is mother to Paul, singer-songwriter Nell, and Donnacha, whom she shares with her husband Paul.
Paul Mescal has previously admitted the diagnosis deeply affected him, revealing he suffered a panic attack on set after learning his mother had cancer.
The actor, now 30, was filming All of Us Strangers alongside Andrew Scott, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell when the news broke.
Speaking to Esquire UK, Paul said:
“I think I pushed it under the carpet for a bit. Then there was a day on set when I had a panic attack — the biggest I’ve had in years.
“I realised I didn’t have space to feel anything. And my body was like, ‘No. You’ve got to feel this.’”
What Is Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that forms in bone marrow, where plasma cells normally help fight infection.
In sufferers, abnormal plasma cells multiply rapidly, weakening bones and interfering with healthy blood cell production. There is currently no cure.
Risk factors include age (most patients are over 45), family history, obesity, and occupational exposure to chemicals such as petroleum products and heavy metals.
Complications can include anemia, kidney failure, high calcium levels, infections, fractures and mobility loss. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplants and medication can significantly extend life expectancy.
