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Ahead of World Cancer Day on 4th February, we’re shining a light on our charity partner, Young Lives vs Cancer.
Young Lives vs Cancer stops at nothing to make sure children and young people with cancer get the right care and support, at the right time. It’s not always easy, especially when the systems and policies in place can make it even harder. Debt can pile up and savings wiped out, resulting in day-to-day struggles that become unmanageable.
From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer social workers will step in. They will navigate the complexities of the benefits system to ensure their families have access to grants that can help with the costs that come with cancer.
Children and young people with cancer deserve better. Together, we will make change happen.
Our support helps Young Lives vs Cancer provide their vital services for young cancer patients and their families. Please make a donation today and help stop cancer destroying young lives.
Arla’s story
“I was in complete shock right from the start. When that doctor told me she could see a tumour in her eye, it almost didn’t seem real.”.
Arla was diagnosed two weeks after her first birthday with a rare type of eye cancer, after her mum and dad noticed she had a squint in her eye. While some of her treatment and appointments are in Edinburgh, most of it has to be at a hospital in Birmingham - 301 miles away. They have had to fly to Birmingham and home again every three to four weeks.
“I thought she’d need a little patch to help the squint or glasses, having cancer was never in a million years on my radar. He said ‘from what we can see, the likely treatment would be we would remove her eye’ - I was totally in shock, I had no idea of the severity of what I was dealing with.
“Luckily so far that's not been the case so far, there have been advances in treatment. It's not out the question that her eye may need to be removed if the treatment isn’t working but there has been other treatment to try and preserve her eye.”
Arla’s treatment is ongoing, with the family regularly having to make the trip from their home in Edinburgh to Birmingham. The financial burden of cancer has been tough and Young Lives vs Cancer Social Worker Heather has helped arrange grants and support.
“Without Young Lives vs Cancer we probably wouldn’t have had the ability to apply for different things financially, the support worker has helped us understand what we are able to apply for, what we’re entitled to – even just knowledge, of what we are entitled to. And having someone there to ask, to speak to, to rant to in hospital.”
