Join us on 8 May 2025, for the London premiere of That’s You: The Wonder, Humour and Trauma of Chemotherapy, a one-hour performance of words, song, movement and chat written and performed by Ciarán Fenton. Ciaran is a leadership consultant, board facilitator, and author who is in remission from mantle cell lymphoma since November 2022.

‘That’s you’ is a phrase commonly used in Northern Ireland when something is completed. Ciarán heard it, as a balming blessing by his nurses, a “million times” during treatment.

Participants will be invited to donate to one or more of the four cancer charities for which Ciaran is raising money. Ciarán especially wants to celebrate the science and those who cared for him at Belfast City Hospital and to help raise awareness in the medical profession generally of the importance of integrating the management of mental trauma more fully during chemotherapy. Ciarán also wants to promote the funding of health services as an “S” focus in the environment, society and governance (ESG) agenda in businesses.

Background:

Ciarán was diagnosed in February 2022 with mantle cell lymphoma and has been in remission since November 2022. He had massive splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) and large pleural effusions at diagnosis, requiring a chest drain; subsequently, he developed an empyema (a build-up of pus), which required surgery. He had suspected TB treated as a precaution and received treatment to complete remission with chemotherapy (Nordic Protocol) and had a stem cell transplant using his own stem cells following BEAM conditioning consisting of six days of high-dose chemotherapy.

His treatment consisted of four in-patient sessions lasting two to three weeks, or more, and three out-patient sessions. Much of his treatment was in isolation without visitors due to COVID. He needed regular blood transfusions. He has maintenance treatment every eight weeks to end three years from the transplant i.e. November 2025.

He found the experience at Belfast City Hospital’s Bridgewater and 10 North centers wonderful because of the amazing doctors, nurses and staff and mind-boggling science (“I’m alive”), funny (“hilariously at times”) and traumatic (“deeply”).

Ciarán Fentonis a leadership consultant, board facilitator and writer/speaker on managing relationships at work, on ESG and on creating sustainable organizations.

He facilitates improved decision-making on senior leadership teams and boards by exploring the interdependence between personal and organizational purpose, strategy and behavior (PSB).

During his early career he held senior business leadership roles at Hachette, ITN, Pearson and The Guardian Media Group in which he was involved in change programs.

Ciarán is a mentor at London Business School’s Entrepreneurship Summer School, and visiting lecturer at LBS, LSE, CISL and QUB.