We work with families, hospitals, and hospices across the UK supporting young people (aged 0-25) with terminal cancer.
Each year approximately 530 young people in the UK die from cancer and many more spend too much of their youth in hospital. For these young people and their families each moment matters. We want to support every single one of them.
The ways we help young people with cancer
Memory Making
We provide young people with terminal cancer, the opportunity to make memories that they and their family can cherish. Amongst hospital visits, feeling poorly and anxiety about what is to come, we want to brighten their day by allowing them to do whatever it is that they enjoy the most.
We want to enable these young patients to spend quality time with the people who matter while giving them a sense of control over their lives and normality amongst the chaos.
We have supported a range of things such as shopping sprees in a toy store, sweet sixteenth parties, a first and only smart suit and tie, personal firework displays, family outings, weddings, blessings and opportunities to say thank you.
Keepsakes
We help to create hand-made personalised keepsakes, for example:
* Jewellery with fingerprints of the patient for loved ones to cherish
* Glass hearts engraved with handwritten messages, for example a verse from a song or a favourite saying.
* Hand casting kits for families to create their own meaningful moment that can be painted or cast in bronze.
* A memory box filled with activities that help a young patient concentrate on their lives and loved ones, rather than their disease.
Creative Therapy
We provide activity boxes for young patients with cancer to use during periods of treatment. These are sent to hospitals throughout the country to provide a creative focus and essential distraction during hospital stays.
We are currently enhancing new Sibling Boxes. The contents will offer a talking point for the family to prepare for what lies ahead and give an opportunity for siblings to ask those difficult questions surrounding death and dying.
Get involved
We know you care about improving the lives of children and young people living with cancer as much as we do. If you want to become part of our force for change, there has never been a better time.
There are so many ways to get involved in your local area, even from the comfort of your own home. Whether it’s through volunteering, donating, or creating a fundraising event, any contribution you can make to our cause will have a real and immediate impact on a patient with terminal cancer.
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Charities come together to launch Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month this April
Friendships. Relationships. Exams. Parties. Hormones. Travel? University? Kids? Being a teenager or young adult can be difficult, but should also be super exciting. There are so many important decisions, that first sweet smell of freedom. Independence.
Then you hear the three words you least expected: “you have cancer”, and all those plans, hopes and dreams threaten to come crashing down.
2,374 young people aged 16-24 are diagnosed with cancer every year. Imagine being a teenager or young adult and having to juggle the unique challenges that this time brings – on top of dealing with a cancer diagnosis and the huge impact of treatment.
Cancer is different in young people. They have very different needs to younger children and older adults facing this disease, so they need a special, tailored approach to improving cancer diagnosis, treatment, care and support.
The far-reaching impact of cancer does not end when treatment ends. Quality of life and learning to live well with cancer is vital too. The impact of a cancer diagnosis can continue for many years.
We must raise awareness of the distinct challenges this age group face and make a difference for young people with cancer. That’s why we’re launching Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month this April.
So young people can share their stories and be listened to. So that together we can tackle the challenges and make a change.
Cancer charities from across the UK have come together for the first Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month. Throughout April, we’ll be sharing young people’s experiences of cancer, raising awareness of the unique needs of this age group, showing how we support young people and work to improve their experience through specialised services and research, and highlighting where change is urgently needed.
The charities involved are Bone Cancer Research Trust, Brain Tumour Research, Cancer Research UK, Children with Cancer UK, Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, Dragonfly Cancer Trust, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, The Little Princess Trust, Sarcoma UK, Solving Kids Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer (TYAC), Teens Unite Fighting Cancer, The Tom Bowdidge Foundation, Trekstock and Young Lives vs Cancer.
Search #TYACAM to follow Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month and find out how the charities are raising awareness and how you can get involved this April.