Young Lives vs Cancer

“As a specialist social worker, I understand the impact cancer can have on families. By running the London Marathon I want to let others know that there is help out there, so that no one feels that they have to navigate this experience alone.” Abby has been a Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Worker for five years now, and next month she’ll be taking on the #LondonMarathon to support children and young people with cancer. We can’t wait to cheer for her and the rest of Team Young Lives. 👏 Abby works closely with families who have received a cancer diagnosis, and she’s made many memories which have stuck with her. She said: “Recently a young person was able to participate in their graduation, which had been his goal for some time. Many people helped make this happen but it was his determination and strength that allowed him to finish his training, and accept his degree on that special day.” With the London Marathon around the corner, Abby said: “Training has been both hard work but also, so much fun. My favourite part is that I’m enjoying running again and that I have a friend who’s also training, so our weekend-long runs are the highlights of our weeks… Always followed by coffee! “My family and friends (shout out to Dream Team) have been A-MAZING. They have been super encouraging and are a big part of why this has been so much fun. From hearing about their experiences with marathons and other runs, to sharing our excitement for the big day, they have really helped keep me focused. I’m so, so grateful for them. “I’m excited to raise funds for Young Lives vs Cancer, and tell others about all of the work we’re doing to help families as they navigate their cancer diagnosis.” Support Abby: https://ow.ly/67Hh50Vhg33 #SocialWorkWeek

The NHS is free at the point of use. But what if you can't afford to get there? In 2023, we undertook research to understand the impact of travelling to treatment for children and young people with cancer. The results were stark. 71% of children and young people with cancer and their families said they struggle with the cost of getting to their treatment - and this leads to some taking on debt, selling their possessions or even missing or delaying treatment. It's not right. The UK Government Spring Statement this month is an opportunity to create a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund, to make sure children and young people with cancer, and their families can stop worrying about the cost of travel and focus on what matters: getting through treatment. Email your MP today and ask them to support calls for a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund in the Spring Statement: https://ow.ly/j24m50Vlv5j

We’re sad to hear of Eddie O’Gorman’s passing. He and his wife Marion founded Children with Cancer UK and they’ve contributed so much to make sure children and young people with cancer get the support they need. The charity has contributed over £7 million to Young Lives vs Cancer, which has funded financial grants for young people with cancer and families struggling with the costs of cancer and funding the development of our Homes from Home across the UK. Young Lives vs Cancer’s Home from Home Paul’s House in London is named after his son Paul who sadly died at just 14 years old after being diagnosed with leukaemia in 1986. Our Home from Home Jean’s House in Southampton is named after his sister who continued to fundraise for children with leukaemia in her brother’s memory, and sadly died just nine months later.   Rachel Kirby-Rider, Chief Executive at Young Lives vs Cancer, said: “Eddie’s legacy will live on in the children, young people and families his funding continues to support. Our thoughts are with his wife, son and family at this sad time.” Read our statement: https://ow.ly/SkM150Vlkkg

This #SocialWorkWeek join us in cheering on Richard, a Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Worker from Cambridge, as he celebrates his 40th birthday by running 100 miles for the charity. 👏 On the weekend of 24-25 May, Richard will take on this incredible challenge to raise awareness of childhood cancer. Richard said: “My big sister Melanie died from a rare Rhabdomyosarcoma in 1988. As I turn 40, doing a big challenge to raise money for this special cause, which offers support to families at the most difficult of circumstances was the obvious thing to do.” Last year our specialist social workers at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge – where Richard works – helped 355 families find the strength to face everything cancer throws at them. Richard said: ”Working for Young Lives vs Cancer has been a privilege since I joined in 2019. Through working alongside so many different families I have learnt of the incredible disruption and stress treatment impacts on families and it gave me insight into my own childhood, which I was too young to understand at the time.” #Rhabdomyosarcoma #ChildhoodCancerAwareness

UK Government has announced reforms to the welfare and benefits system, including changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). We're concerned some of these changes could have a significant impact on young people with cancer, and their families, who rely on PIP and other benefits to support them with the additional costs of living with cancer. The reforms announced may make it more difficult for young cancer patients to meet the PIP eligibility - rather than building a system that works for children and young people with cancer. Our Director of Policy, Helen Gravestock, responds to today's announcement, sharing what these reforms might mean for the families we support. https://ow.ly/c84O50Vk5RE We will continue to review detail of these reforms to understand what these changes may mean for young cancer patients and their families. If you need support with welfare benefits or the impacts of the costs of cancer, please get in touch for support. https://ow.ly/hxSP50Vk5RC

Join us for a special episode of The C Tea podcast as we celebrate #SocialWorkWeek. 🌟 Simon, Social Work Team Leader at Young Lives vs Cancer, speaks to Cathie who shares her journey from having cancer as a teenager to finding her passion for #SocialWork. Discover how Cathie’s personal experiences have fuelled her commitment to making a difference in children's lives and her aspirations for the future. Tune in for an honest conversation about resilience, growth, and the impact of social work. Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eq5KBchd Or listen wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧 The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Social Care Council Cancer Fund for Children

Our Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers understand better than anyone that cancer care and support isn't always designed for young people. They work alongside children and young people with cancer and their families and see first hand the challenges they face, like the financial strain that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Children and young people with cancer spend an average of £250 every month travelling to treatment, and our social workers know exactly what impact that has on the families they work with. They witness the financial strain this brings, and the emotional toll it takes. They know the one in 10 that have to miss or delay their treatment because they can’t afford to get there. And crucially, they step in to provide support like finding financial grants and support when the system falls short. They do everything they can to help, but they know that a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund is needed from UK Government to make sure no child or young person struggles with the cost of travelling to treatment or misses or delays their treatment because of it. This #SocialWorkWeek, will you stand with our specialist social workers and email your MP, calling for a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to be included in the UK Government Spring Statement? Email your MP now:👉 https://ow.ly/8JAc50Vjel6 📸Hana Laurie

“I will be always grateful for all Cath has done for our family. Even now when Dzemil has finished treatment, she checks in to see how we are doing and asks how he is getting on now that he has started nursery. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you done for us Cath.” Hope, a mum from Liverpool, is sharing her thanks this #SocialWorkWeek for a social worker who helped her family when her son went through cancer treatment. Hope’s son Dzemil was diagnosed with a rare tumour at just two years old. Soon after his diagnosis the family was introduced to Cath, their Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Worker. Hope said: “I always thought the term ‘Social Worker’ was for children at harm or for those who needed support, and never fully understood that it can be such a positive thing. “Cath is an amazing person. I remember when we first met her and Dzemil had just started his chemotherapy. For the first time in weeks when I spoke to Cath I forgot about all of the trauma that we had experienced and everything that was on our mind and we just had a really nice conversation. “Cath let us know that she will be with us every step of the way which was such a nice thing to hear. If I had any questions I could speak to her. She checked in on a regular basis to see how we were getting on but also took the time to ask how I was feeling, and that really meant a lot. “When I started to panic about renewing Dzemil’s Disability Living Allowance and applying for his blue badge, Cath calmed me down and showed me that there was a plan B and everything would be okay.” Dzemil has since finished treatment. After everything his family have been through, they’ve learned to live life to the fullest. Hope said: “We have been told that he has a very high chance of relapse, but we believe in miracles and say that Dzemil is our very own living miracle. He is currently eight months off treatment and thriving. “He has recently started nursery in school and seeing how happy he is when he walks in puts the biggest smile on our faces. We never thought we would get to this point yet here we are.”

We know how difficult accessing welfare benefits is for children and young people with cancer, which is why the system desperately needs to change. At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recently published new research which outlines the long waits and challenges being faced, alongside our calls for improvement. While we await further news on what changes to the welfare benefits system may be to come, you can read our latest statement and more about out new research here: https://ow.ly/8pGH50Vi8R3

"We were just thrown into this world where our child's got cancer and we don't know if she's going to survive, along with dealing with the financial impact. You've still got all these bills to pay on top of going back and forward to hospital, and extra food and accommodation costs.” Mum Danielle experienced ‘financial strain’ as soon as her nine-year-old daughter Jasmine was diagnosed with cancer, but didn’t receive any benefits for eight months. Due to the family living a 120-mile round trip from the hospital, every trip back and forth cost around £30 in fuel. Danielle said this, as well as food costs while in hospital and extra heating bills while her daughter was home in between treatment to keep her warm, all mounted up. On top of this, Danielle found the application process for benefits was long and complicated: “You haven’t got the headspace to do that when you’re going through what you’re going through but then you need to apply for it for extra financial support.” The family were supported by Ffion, a Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Worker, who helped them apply for benefits and offered them grants. She also gave them much needed emotional support. “Without Young Lives vs Cancer, we wouldn't have known what we were entitled to. There was a lot of emotional support – you don’t want to be in this situation but luckily there are people like Ffion around to help and check in, which you need.” Our new research report, The Cost of Waiting, found that young people and families facing cancer wait around seven months from diagnosis before receiving any disability benefits from the UK government. While they wait, families must find around £5,000 in extra costs while facing cancer. Young Lives vs Cancer believes children and young people with cancer should be entitled to access disability benefits from the day of diagnosis. We’re calling to scrap the three-month qualifying period for children and young people with cancer to claim disability benefits and for the system to be simple, efficient and streamlined, using medical evidence to quickly determine eligibility for these patients.