Paul Mescal’s mother, Dearbhla Mescal, has made a deeply emotional confession — describing her cancer diagnosis as “a gift” that ultimately allowed her to fall in love with herself after a life-altering battle with illness.
Appearing on Begin Again with Davina McCall, Dearbhla became visibly overwhelmed as she reflected on how her diagnosis reshaped her body, her identity, and the way she now views her own strength.
A Diagnosis That Changed Her Life
The Irish mother of three was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, four years ago at the age of 53. At the time, she was approaching retirement — unaware that her life was about to be completely redefined.
Now 57, Dearbhla is two years post stem cell transplant and currently in remission.
Looking back, she described the moment as both devastating and transformative.
“For me, the gift that cancer was, was that I could begin again,” she said tearfully.
“I could begin again. Literally hair gone. New hair coming back. My whole blood was being renewed.”
“I Was Starting Again From Scratch”
Dearbhla explained that the intense treatment stripped her life back to its foundations — forcing her to reconnect with herself in a way she never had before.
“I was starting again from my blood — from scratch,” she said.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is a serious gift.’ I had to re-engage with myself.”
Rather than mourning the illness, she says it stopped her in her tracks — and made her reassess everything.
“I didn’t grieve cancer. Even now, I believe cancer was gifted to me. I know that sounds strange, but it forced me to stop.
“It made me grateful for my body. Grateful to hold my skin. To inject it. To embrace my belly.”
The Moment She Knew Something Was Wrong
Dearbhla first sensed danger when she began experiencing unexplained pain in her arm, followed by repeated illnesses.
“My immune system was collapsing. I was catching everything,” she recalled.
“I knew this was more than being a tired mum. I was working full-time and something was very wrong.”
Her thoughts quickly spiralled.
“I remember thinking I was going to die. I didn’t even know what cancer I had — but my mind went straight to the darkest place.”
“I Fell in Love With Myself”
One of the most powerful moments of her journey came during treatment, while away with her husband Paul.
Emerging from the sea, Dearbhla saw herself differently for the first time.
“This was me. Fully and completely me in my skin,” she said.
“I could see Dearbhla — the whole woman who had been gifted three children and who had fought with her body her entire life.”
She admitted to years of struggling with body image.
“Always too big. Never too small. Trying to fit into uniforms and expectations,” she said.
“And suddenly, this body I’d been fighting — I loved her.”
Her voice breaking, 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.”
Paul Mescal’s Private Struggle
Dearbhla shares her children — Paul, singer-songwriter Nell, and Donnacha — with her husband Paul.
The diagnosis deeply affected Paul Mescal, now 30, who has previously revealed that he suffered a panic attack after learning his mother had cancer.
At the time, he was filming All of Us Strangers alongside Andrew Scott, Claire Foy and Jamie Bell.
Speaking to Esquire UK, Paul admitted:
“I pushed it under the carpet for a bit. Then one day on set, I had the biggest panic attack I’ve had in years.
“I realised I hadn’t given myself space to feel anything. And my body was like, ‘No — you have to feel this.’”
What Is Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a cancer that develops in the bone marrow, where plasma cells normally help fight infection.
In patients, abnormal plasma cells multiply rapidly, weakening bones and interfering with healthy blood production. While there is currently no cure, treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, medication, and stem cell transplants can significantly extend life expectancy.
Risk factors include age (most patients are over 45), family history, obesity, and exposure to chemicals such as petroleum products and heavy metals.
Complications may include anemia, kidney failure, infections, fractures, and mobility loss.
Source: Adapted from reporting by https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
