A YOUNG cancer sufferer has told how having a terminal illness has given her the drive to sing again for the first time in years.

Jade McCann, 23, was bullied so badly for singing as a teenager that she vowed to give it up completely.

However, the brave Greystones girl has just released a charity single, with a portion of proceeds made going to the Gavin Glynn foundation, which raises money for children with sarcoma, a rare family of cancers.

Jade was diagnosed with terminal stage IV sarcoma earlier this year.

The Wicklow native told the Irish Sun: “I sang when I was younger. I had a YouTube channel and stuff. I made an EP and did a little tour, but I got really badly bullied when I was in school for it, so I deleted everything and shredded all of the evidence that it ever happened.

“I was only 15, so it wouldn’t have been normal for other kids, which is why I think I got picked on.

“It ruined my confidence and I stopped singing because of the bullying. I also play guitar, piano and ukulele, but I hadn’t even picked up an instrument in years.”

The talented performer was given the push to get back into singing after being approached by Cluster Fox Films and former Aslan member Tony McGuinness, who had the idea of recording a traditional Irish song with a modern twist.

All proceeds of the resulting single The Parting Glass will be split between Jade’s treatment fund and the Gavin Glynn Foundation.

Jade explained: “Gavin Glynn was from the town beside me and he had the same cancer I had. I actually fundraised for Gavin when he was sick.

“The Gavin Glynn foundation provide care for children who need care abroad. When we realised that Gavin had sarcoma too, we contacted them to ask them for their advice. They’ve been nothing but helpful.

“I’m not a child, so financially they obviously can’t help me, but they’ve been brilliant for telling about different treatments and giving me advice on specialists and sarcoma doctors.”

She continued: “I felt like I had to give something back. I think that’s what really gave me the push to sing again. I never would have thought a year ago that this is what I’d be doing.”

Jade is currently waiting on the results of scans to see what the next step in her treatment will be — the young woman is anticipating that she will need to go abroad soon for specialist care.

She said: “I have scans in about three weeks and we’ll know then whether my treatment has been working or not. I’ve been really lucky in that I’ve been able to keep my treatment within Ireland this year, but next year I expect that I’ll have to travel.

"We were looking at procedures in England where they inject into the lungs. There’s more precise treatments coming along all of the time.”

Jade’s dad Anthony is also fighting his own battle against prostate cancer. He is currently undergoing radiotherapy after doctors speculated that his cancer has travelled into his bones.

Jade said: “We’re hoping the radiotherapy hits everything, including the bones. He’s been up and out every day and he’s in good form, so we’re hoping for the best.”

The poignant video for the Parting Glass has already been viewed more than 12,000 times on YouTube.

Jade is hoping the single will spread awareness about young sarcoma sufferers here.

She said: “The reason I did this is because the cancers that are most difficult to treat are the cancers in children and young adults.

“Young adults and children are collateral damage for a system that doesn’t know how to deal with it here in Ireland.

“I want people to realise that it could happen to anyone, and that it is happening to people all of the time.”