Teenage cancer trust
T
eenage years are supposed to be the best years of your
life, but for seven young people every day, life stops
when they hear the devastating news that they have
cancer. One minute, life is about hanging out with
mates, learning to drive, dating or getting that first
job; the next, it’s on hold and they’re in a hospital ward, frightened
and alone.To make matters worse, many young people with cancer
never meet another young person going through the same experience.
Teenage Cancer Trust is a UK charity dedicated to improving the
quality of life and chances of survival of young people aged 13 to
24. It funds and builds specialist units in NHS hospitals and provides
dedicated staff, bringing young people together so they can be treated
by teenage cancer experts in the best place for them.The charity also
educates young people in schools, colleges and universities across the
UK about cancer to help improve the speed and quality of diagnosis.
Recently, the work of the charity has been in the spotlight thanks
to the remarkable story of Stephen Sutton. Stephen’s story has now
raised an astonishing £5 million – funds that will be used to develop
cancer centres in seven cities across the UK, create 50 Stephen
Sutton Scholarships to train specialist cancer nurses, and pay for
1,500 teenage cancer patients to attend special events to learn, share
experiences and make friends with others in their situation.
Teenage CancerTrust has already funded, built and now runs 28
specialist cancer units in NHS hospitals across the UK.These can cost
anything from £250,000 to £3.5 million, depending on their size, type
of building and so on. It also funds 48 specialist staff – 27 nurses and
21 youth support coordinators – and is planning to invest in more.
Stephen’s inspirational fundraising campaign meant his experience
of life with cancer attracted worldwide attention, but there are
thousands of other teenagers whose bravery never makes the
headlines. One of these is Lily, who was diagnosed with lymphoma –
the most common cancer among teenagers – at the age of 14 and was
treated on aTeenage CancerTrust unit. Her story illustrates the ways
in which the charity supports young people with cancer.
Lily’s story
‘Before I was diagnosed I was just a normal teen, watchedTV half the
time, would go out with friends, studied hard at school and had just
started working towards my GCSEs. I had unexplained chest pains
for eight months but put it down to muscular pains.After a while,
though, I got more and more tired and then I lost a lot of weight and
became deathly pale. Mum took me to the nurse, who sent me to
the doctor who sent me to the paediatrician, who took a scan.Then a
senior paediatric oncologist informed me that they had found a large
tumour in my chest.
‘At first, when I was told I had Hodgkin’s lymphoma I didn’t react
at all because I had no idea what they were talking about. I didn’t
even think young people got cancer, not teenagers anyway. I thought
it was just old people and little kids, not people my age.Then when
I realised that I had got it, it was like everything went into slow
motion and I went into shock. I only really reacted when the doctor
said I would lose my hair and also couldn’t go on the holiday we had
planned for the following week.That’s when I started to cry. Other
people, when I told them the news, cried or just asked multiple
questions: How was I?Was I sure? Did I get a second opinion? And the
biggest one of all – was I going to die?
smells like
teen spirit
Being diagnosed with cancer is never an easy
experience, but for youngsters the news can leave
them frightened and alone.That’s where
UK charityTeenage Cancer Trust can help
20
|
THE INVESTOR
foundation
Playing pool and
watching films are
popular on Teenage
Cancer Trust wards
