Young people are being told to ‘calm down’ over cancer fears – but what if they’re right? 

‘Kids your age don’t get cancer.’ ‘There’s nothing to worry about’ ‘Calm down.’

These are just some of the things young people aged 16-24 with cancer have been told. This is despite 12 children a day being diagnosed with cancer in the UK, ccording to the charity Young Lives Vs Cancer (YLVC), who work to support young cancer patients and their families. 

Figures also reveal that children and young adults end up having to visit their GP far more than older cancer patients, before getting their diagnosis.

The findings from the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES), add that over two thirds of youngsters with cancer said they were forced to visit their doctor more than once before finally receiving their diagnosis, with nearly half seeing their GP three or more times before being sent to hospital.

With today marking Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month, charities such as YLVC are determined to shine a light on the shocking difficulties and frightening hurdles children and young adults face when it comes to cancer. 

As the cost of living crisis worsens in the UK, their research has found that one of the biggest barriers for families is the cost of reaching hospital appointments In fact, the costs of cancer can reach an extra £700 a month on average. 

What’s more, 15% of 16-24 year-olds said they needed, but did not receive, any information about the financial help or benefits they might be entitled to. 

On top of that, one in four reported they were not able to get emotional support at home from community services like district nurses, paid carers, mental health support or physiotherapists). 

‘Kids your age don’t get cancer’

Abi Holly was 14 when she noticed a strange lump on her hand. Worried, she went to her GP to seek answers, who sent her to a specialist. But she was told ‘kids your age don’t get cancer’ by the health expert, who had scoffed at her fears. He said the lump was probably just fatty tissue.

But, two years later, it was still there and growing larger. Another scan and doctors admitted the lump was cancer. Abi would need urgent surgery to remove the lump.

Abi told Metro: ‘I ended up having to drop out of college because I just couldn’t keep up with my illness weighing on my mind, and I couldn’t use my heavily-bandaged right hand for a long time after surgery.’ Even once she was declared cancer-free, Abi was left fraught with worry about losing support.

She added: ‘While having cancer had been hard, I found the period after I was declared cancer-free absolutely horrific. I felt like a toy that had been dropped: that’s it, move on, we’ll see you in three months for a check up.’ 

‘I sounded like a robot telling my friends at school’

Ruby-Jo Sneed juggled her Year 11 prom and GCSE exams while she battled both skin cancer and a brain tumour. When speaking to Metro about her diagnosis, she spoke about the desperate feeling for the disease to be ‘ripped’ away from her body.

‘I started crying and mum held my hand’, Ruby-Jo had said. ‘My dad cried as well, that was the first time I’d seen a man cry. There was nothing he could do to help me, he felt hopeless.

‘For me, I felt fed up with a journey I didn’t ask for. No child should have to know what the word ‘cancer’ means. Looking back, I can’t believe I was so strong. But I had to be, I had no other choice.

‘I did think “am I going to die?” but never asked this question out loud as I didn’t want to scare my parents. I felt like I had to be strong for them so they could be strong for me. I sounded like a robot telling my friends at school, I wasn’t crying or anything. It was very surreal, I didn’t know what to think.’

Ruby-Jo had a support worker from Young Lives vs Cancer as she tried to be a ‘normal teenager’ while battling cancer. Today, she’s cancer-free but has to be extra careful with any strange lumps or staying in the sun too long.

‘I’ve blamed my dad for somehow giving his cancer to me’

In a tragic turn of events, Ainsley Foster was diagnosed with a brain tumour just two weeks after colon cancer took his dad.

The 21-year-old had been clearing his father’s house when he was struck down by a sudden severe migraine. Ainsley was in so much pain that he had to put a blanket over his head to block out any light. He rushed to a GP but was told the migraine was likely caused by stress. Ainsley went to A&E a few days later where he collapsed due to the pain. Urgent tests revealed he had a brain tumour.

Ainsley told Metro: ‘ Having seen what cancer did to Dad, my first question was: ‘How long have I got left?’ I know it sounds completely farfetched, but I often wonder if somehow he knew about my condition before anyone else did. In my darkest moments – and I know this is impossible – I’ve even blamed him for somehow giving his cancer to me.

‘Thankfully, I was told the cancer looked treatable so at least that filled me with some confidence.’

Ainsley underwent surgery and was put into an induced-coma after his brain tumour hemorrhaged. Recovery was hard and the young man’s vision had been severely impacted. But as Ainsley underwent chemotherapy, he had help on hand from Eve, a support worker. 

He added: ‘She liaised with my university to relay my situation, played puzzles to pass the time and was just really lovely. It felt like she was a second mum to me, especially after just losing Dad.

‘A lot of people are affected by cancer and the best way to demystify it is to talk about it. That’s why I’m sharing my story because I want people to know that – unlike my first thought after my diagnosis – life can go on.’

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kirsten.Robertson@metro.co.uk 

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