Newcastle Hospitals teenage and young adults’ cancer service held a unique event for teenagers and young people from the north east and north Cumbria who have had cancer.
This event, called Cancer – What’s the Facts, believed to be the first of its kind in the north east for 19-24 year olds, aimed to provide peer to peer support, confidence building, educational and motivational activities for close to 40 young people who have been treated and cared for at hospitals across the region.
Karen Hamlen, Teenage Cancer Trust lead nurse works for Newcastle Hospitals in the Northern Centre for Cancer Care and covers the region’s teenage and young adults’ cancer service.
She has organised the event, held in partnership with the Teenage Cancer Trust, with Gemma Rutherford, a Teenage Cancer Trust youth worker.
Karen said: “The emotional impact of cancer at this young age is huge, and during treatment young people are incredibly isolated, both medically and socially.
“Post Covid, we realised that a great number of patients missed out on the opportunity to engage with each other, and the essential peer support element was severely restricted.
“It’s vital to reduce the isolation faced by teenagers and young adults with cancer at such an important time in their lives and this event offers the chance to come together for peer support en-masse. It’s a unique opportunity for young people to meet others like them and to have fun whilst building and gaining confidence.”
The teenage and young adults team works closely with all young people who have been referred in, with a cancer diagnosis aged 13-24, and Karen hopes the event will also help to raise awareness of the service.
“We work with teenagers and young people during and after their treatment, offering both psychosocial and emotional support for them and their families. We facilitate access to information, care, liaison and support throughout their cancer journey, to ensure it’s tailored for their age. Most importantly we organise peer support events, essentially allowing the young people to talk to people their own age and not feel so alone.”
Each year, approximately 130 young people, aged 13-24, in the North East are newly diagnosed with cancer.
Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support, designed for and with young people, and do this by funding specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, so young people have dedicated staff and facilities to support them throughout treatment.”
Newcastle Hospitals is home to two Teenage Cancer Trust units, one at the Freeman Hospital which is designed for 19-24 year olds and one at the Great North Children’s Hospital, designed for 13-18 year olds.
All bedrooms on the unit have cosy and comfy soft furnishings – to make it feel more like a home, rather than a hospital unit – bespoke furniture, TV, DVD and gaming facilities. Teenage Cancer Trust also provides free wifi and laptops.
The event was largely funded by the Teenage Cancer Trust’s long standing charity partner Domino’s whilst many local businesses donated time and services free of charge.
The weekend special activities included workshops and educational sessions, live music, comedy, live magic, quizzes and prizes and an evening social event.
