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Young Lives vs Cancer

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Young Lives vs Cancer

We make sure children and young people with cancer get the right support at the right time. Welcome!

Thank you for joining Young Lives vs Cancer’s Facebook community. To make sure everyone has the best experience possible, please read and follow our house rules. Please understand that comments posted by fans of the Young Lives vs Cancer page should not be taken to represent the views of Young Lives vs Cancer. House rules:

- Please respect every member of our community that comments on t

he Young Lives vs Cancer page, even if their views are different to yours. Stay friendly and disagree respectfully.

- Young Lives vs Cancer reserves the right to hide or delete any comment or content deemed inappropriate. This may include:
- off-topic or redundant comments (including the promotion of activities not related to Young Lives vs Cancer)
- inappropriate language or hate speech. Racist, sexist, homophobic or any other discriminatory language will not be tolerated
- personal information. Do not share your own or others' personal contact information in your comments
- comments that violate the privacy of our staff or volunteers, or the people we support.

- This is not a community to gain medical advice. Please avoid giving medical advice to other community members - even if something worked for you, it may not be appropriate for someone else's treatment. We will remove any posts or replies in which users give medical advice. If another community member gives you medical advice, please don’t follow it.

- Comments that express the intent to self-harm in any way or to commit su***de, encourage others to do so, or praise harmful behaviours will be removed. If you are concerned about yourself, or about another community member, please call, or ask the user to call, Samaritans on 116 123. You might also find the information on this NHS webpage useful: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/

- Young Lives vs Cancer understands that community members may want to respectfully disagree or complain about a service via the comments on this page. We aim to reply to these quickly and to resolve matters offline. Community members who persistently complain via this community once their initial comment has been responded to or dealt with will have their comments removed from the page.

- Young Lives vs Cancer reserves the right to block anyone who persistently breaks the house rules.

- Please be aware that if we feel you are a Young Lives vs Cancer service user in a vulnerable position, or in need of additional support, we may consult our Young Lives vs Cancer social care team in order to help you. You can contact them for support via our website: https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/what-we-do/day-to-day-support/live-chat/

27/08/2026

Looking for someone we supported in Newcastle to share their story.
Update: we have now received enough responses - thank you all!

14/08/2026

“It was incredibly special to do something in memory of Freya while supporting a charity that meant so much to our family during one of the most difficult years of our lives. Seeing Gwen and Will joined by their friends, doing something they love and sharing their passion for all things Manchester United made the day even more meaningful.”

Inspired by Josh Kerr’s amazing one mile record and a shared passion for all things Manchester United, Gwen, William and their friends ran one mile around the club’s Old Trafford Football Stadium, raising money in memory of their sister and cousin, Freya.

9-year-old Freya passed away on 13 August 2025, to a rare form of brain cancer. Following Freya’s diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer’s specialist social worker, Ffion supported the family, practically and emotionally.

Kate, Freya’s mum, said, “Ffion’s care, guidance, and compassion carried us through the darkest moments. Young Lives vs Cancer has been a lifeline for our family through the toughest of times. Their services are invaluable, not only for children but for the whole family. They provided us with a place to stay in a Home from Home during Freya’s treatment, offered unwavering support, practical advice, and a ray of sunshine on our darkest days.”

The football-loving youngsters decided to take on the fundraising challenge to support other children with cancer and their families who need a place to stay during treatment after their own experience at Sam’s House Home from Home.

William said: “I wanted to fundraise so children with cancer and families would have a place to stay like we did and help them when they are sad.”

As Freya had always enjoyed visiting Old Trafford, her little sister Gwen brought along a butterfly board in her memory. Whilst taking on their challenge, a butterfly was spotted on Freya’s favourite pitch – everyone felt it was a sign she was cheering them all on.

Sophie, Young Lives vs Cancer Fundraising Engagement and Events Officer, said: “The family have been through so much heartache together and they know exactly how fundraising like this helps families through the impossible. It really has been such an extraordinary honour to see them pour their heart and soul into fundraising in Freya’s memory.”

13/08/2026

“The summer after my GCSEs, my family noticed that I was becoming paler and more tired. We thought well of course, I would feel tired, I’ve just done my exams – but it just didn’t let up. A week before I turned 17, a biopsy revealed that I had a lymphoma in my small intestine.”

As James started studying for his A Levels last year, he was diagnosed with lymphoma and spent most of the year having cancer treatment. He found it hard to keep up with his studies, as hospital stays and appointments meant his school attendance dropped to 59%.

James said: “Cancer has affected my life a lot. My schooling has been refocused, my university application process will be changed, my exams will be changed, my fitness has been impacted. Loads of things that are going to last me the next 15 years. I haven’t had to pause my studies but it has definitely made my A Levels a lot harder.”

James has recently received mock exam results and is on track to start his second year.

He said: “I found studying for my mocks hard as long stays in hospital made it difficult to focus. My school were great and sorted out access arrangements, but this took some getting used to.

“My main frustration is that I really want to be in school studying as I worked hard during my GCSEs to get into Sixth Form. There may be more disruption as I head into Year 13 so I’m doing as much as I can while I feel well.

“I plan to take a gap year for recovery before I go to university. And then my big dream is to study history and modern languages at Oxford.”

James and his family have been supported by their Young Lives vs Cancer social worker Siobhan, who helped them access financial support and a stay at Sam’s House, one of our Homes from Home.

James’ mum, Jenny, said: “I think without Siobhan’s help and Sam’s House we would have felt a little more alone. Nobody ever expects a cancer diagnosis at such a young age, so to have somebody who knew all about it and what we should do, and hold our hand I suppose, without that it would have been lonely.”

10/08/2026

Are you worried about starting radioactive iodine therapy? Cam shares his experience and practical tips after having treatment for papillary thyroid cancer.

👉 His top tips:

- Stock-up on dairy-free chocolate for your low iodine diet.
- Wear clothes you don’t mind throwing away when going in the isolation room, as you’ll need to get rid of them afterwards.
- Make sure you’ve got things to distract you while you’re isolating at home, whether that’s Netflix, your PS5, or something else.

Save this video so you can come back to it. ❤️

07/08/2026

“The physical side effects of chemo made me feel quite depressed. I was just a completely different person; I’d look in the mirror and I wouldn’t recognise myself at all.”

James was 24 when he was diagnosed with cancer. At the time, he’d recently started a new role at a book distribution company and was also a keen cricket player. His first thought after diagnosis was: ‘Will this be the end for me?’

James underwent six cycles of chemotherapy as part of his treatment. He experienced gruelling side effects including weight gain and hair loss, which had a big impact on his wellbeing and confidence.

He said: “I’d always been quite proud of my hair, so to wake up every morning and none of it be there was just a constant reminder of how bad things were. I'd very rarely leave the house during the early stages of treatment because I didn’t want to see anyone.”

James also had to take time off work during treatment, which left him on statutory sick pay (SSP) soon after starting his new role. Thankfully he was supported by Abby, his Young Lives vs Cancer specialist social worker, who helped him access financial help.

He said: “Abby became a massive part of my life. When I was out of work and on SSP she was looking for grants for me to help with travel costs and food costs, and when I had the weight gain, to buy clothes. She was always there to check up on me and see how I was doing, see if there were any worries I wanted to talk about.”

In August 2022, James received the wonderful news that he was in remission. Sadly, the celebrations were cut short the very next day when he learned that his dad had terminal cancer.

James said: “I felt fantastic as I’d got through cancer, but then now knew I was going to lose my dad. It completely shattered our family. The first year almost was trying to recover from that loss but it’s definitely brought us closer as a family.

“For me personally, I try and enjoy life now, it made me realise that life can potentially be very short. It's about taking risks and enjoying yourself and making the most out of every situation that you can.”

30/07/2026

Throughout treatment Amy was supported by a Young Lives vs Cancer specialist social worker who recognised her love for LEGO and started exploring ways her and her family could create special memories together involving LEGO.

The biggest thank you to Merlin's Magic Wand Charity for arranging the visits, with Amy and in her memory, to make special memories. Thank you also Official LEGOLAND Windsor for all the lovely help and support.

29/07/2026

“Cancer affected our lives monumentally. It’s the first thing we think about when we wake up and the last thing we think about when we go to sleep.”

At two years old, Indy had just come back from a family holiday when her parents noticed she was pale and lethargic. Her GP immediately referred her to paediatrics at her local hospital, where she was diagnosed with leukaemia within the hour.

As soon as Indy’s cancer diagnosis hit, so did the costs. Indy's dad, Martin, explains: “We live approximately 30 miles from The Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children where Indy's main treatment centre is and have attended there every week for the past two years, sometimes 3-4 times per week.

“The sheer amount of travelling coupled with buying additional food, drinks and entertainment for Indy while she’s in ward have been much bigger than we thought.

“With the additional travel we need to do, we had to arrange a second car which we took as part of the Motability scheme on Indy’s Disability Living Allowance. This has helped somewhat, but the fuel costs are not covered by this. Her car is used primarily for her hospital trips and has covered 15k miles since we got it.”

The family were supported by Joyce, their Young Lives vs Cancer specialist social worker, who helped them apply for grants and respite breaks. She also arranged overnight stays at Marion’s House, our Home from Home in Glasgow, which was close by to Indy’s treatment centre.

Martin said: “The support we received has been invaluable. We wouldn’t have known where to turn had it not been for her back at the start. We received a lot of advice from doctors on how to care for Indy physically, but Joyce was able to offer help on many other aspects.”

Now that Indy is in remission, her family have embraced every opportunity to create precious memories together.

Martin said: “I’ve learned that you can’t take everything for granted and think about the mental and physical benefits of doing something before worrying about the cost. If the kids want to do something, we’re more likely to just do it now than plan for further down the road.”

16/07/2026

“I remember my therapist telling me that mental health can often dip after treatment ends, but at the time I didn't believe her. I thought nothing could be as difficult as going through cancer itself.”

Mphango was diagnosed with leukaemia at 24 years old, just as she was starting a new career in London. Since completing treatment, she’s been using her voice to create change for other young people facing cancer.

“Joining the Voice Board at Young Lives vs Cancer has given me a space to speak openly about my experience and be heard. It's helped me build confidence sharing my story as something that can inform change.

“Channelling my cancer experience into real change gives meaning to everything I've been through. I didn't want it to just be something that happened to me - I wanted it to contribute to something bigger.

“I often hear people in the cancer community talk about a pre-cancer and post-cancer version of themselves, and that really resonated with me. After treatment, that difference felt very real. I've had to learn how to hold two truths at once being deeply grateful to be alive, while also grieving the version of myself I was before cancer.

“One of the biggest things for me is recognising how important it is for young people, especially those from underserved backgrounds, to see themselves reflected in these conversations. Cancer can feel incredibly isolating, and having spaces where your voice is valued makes a real difference.

“Being able to give back has also been a vital part of my recovery. The communities around me played such a huge role in helping me navigate cancer, and using my voice now feels like a way of honouring that support and making sure others can benefit from it too.

“When I was diagnosed, I lost my voice and my confidence completely. The Young Lives vs Cancer team and my fellow Voice Board members have been a direct part of helping me rebuild and stabilise myself after everything I went through. I will forever be grateful for that.”

We're now recruiting for our next group of Voice Board members, and we'd love to hear from anyone affected by cancer.

Apply today - link in the comments.

08/07/2026

“When we found out that Jakub had cancer, I felt like I'd been slapped in the face. For so many months I had been trying to get help for my son. The guilt was overwhelming; it made me feel like I hadn't done enough, I hadn't fought hard enough.”

When Jakub was 13 years old, his mum Jolanta noticed that he looked very pale, thin and tired. He’d had a persistent cough for five months and had seen doctors multiple times before he was diagnosed with lymphoma.

Jolanta said: “As a mother my heart broke, and the world seemed so unfair because my child got cancer. The emotions we experienced at that time were so incredibly difficult. I wanted so badly to take that cancer away from my son.”

Following his diagnosis, Jakub was transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital. His parents then had to divide their time between being at the hospital and at home with Jakub’s twin sister, Julia.

Jolanta said: “Jakub's diagnosis changed everything, reorganised our daily lives, caused huge stress. We had disbelief, helplessness and fear for our son's life.”

The impact of cancer was felt by the whole family. Alongside the practical sides of treatment, they also had to navigate the emotional toll of Jakub’s diagnosis. Throughout it all, they were supported by Emily, their Young Lives vs Cancer specialist social worker.

Jolanta said: “Emily was there for us from the start. She’s been there to listen to our every fear and emotion. Especially me, I had amazing emotional support from her side – but we had support for the whole family.”

Earlier this year, the UK Government published a new National Cancer Plan in England with a dedicated chapter for children and young people with cancer and their families. We're pleased that UK Government have taken this dedicated approach and are ready to continue working together on implementing the vital support set out in the Plan to improve experiences and outcomes.

06/07/2026

“Just having someone to talk to who is sweet and caring and understanding is so important. Also, people don’t realise there are so many non-medical things to think about when you have a child with cancer, it can be so overwhelming.”

After a trip to A&E with a suspected chest infection, Flo and Daniel’s two-year-old son Kylen was diagnosed with leukaemia. Kylen had been loving going to nursery, but he was taken out to minimise the risk of picking up infections during treatment.

Flo said: “It’s an emotional struggle, trying to focus on your child’s needs while not constantly worrying. Kylen is boisterous and adventurous, he loves attending nursery and playing with friends. So to make staying home more enjoyable, I created our own fun home-nursery.

“Even after treatment was completed, we had to be mindful of what Ky’s exposed to. It’s hard to plan even two weeks ahead because everything can change fast.”

Personal time with friends also took a back seat as the family juggled Kylen’s needs with his newborn baby brother. Being apart from friends and family left the family feeling isolated.

She said: “Mentally we’ve had different types of pressure. With a newborn, everyone says to rest but there is no time in my life. When I gave birth to Amari, the first thing I said to the midwife was, ‘I’ve got a toddler at home with leukemia. Could you get us home as soon as possible.’

“Everyone had so much empathy but as the parents in the middle of all the travelling, holding them through each treatment, and worrying about the future, it can still be an incredibly lonely experience.”

Flo wanted to share her experience to help other parents also feeling the emotional impact of facing cancer.

She said: “If you look on social media or on the news, there’s rarely any parents of toddlers with cancer talking about their experiences.

“It’s a lot of thoughts to deal with, and there can be no one there to talk to you about your mental health. That’s where Young Lives vs Cancer have been amazing, the extra care and thoughtfulness has really helped throughout all the uncertainty.”

No child or young person should have to face cancer alone. If you agree, stand with us to support children and young people with cancer: https://ow.ly/3P8K50Zj9Ps

Address

4th Floor, Whitefriars, Lewins Mead
Bristol
BS12NT

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk/

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