Twelve children and young people will be told today that they have cancer. Hearing the news is often a shattering experience for them and their families. It can also have a devastating financial impact.
Childhood cancer is different from the group of diseases which affect adults. Treatment normally starts immediately – paediatric cancers can be very aggressive – it can last up to three years and is often only available far from home in specialist hospitals.
It means many families are forced to spend an average of £250 and travel 350 miles every month to get treatment at a childhood cancer centre, placing further strain on parents already enduring the hardest time of their lives.
Cancer remains the single largest cause of death from disease in children and young people in the UK.
But the challenges facing the 4,000 children and young people diagnosed every year are more than medical. Cancer is overwhelming and isolating. Anxieties run deep. Education, mental health and social lives may suffer. The future can feel very uncertain.
Young Lives vs Cancer, the leading UK charity for children and young people with cancer and their families, exists to make sure that the right support is available for them at the right time. Last year, nearly 7,500 families were grateful for their help.
Young Lives Vs Cancer chief executive Rachel Kirby-Rider said an upheaval on family life after a cancer diagnosis is ‘huge’ (Photo Matthew Joseph)Rachel Kirby-Rider, chief executive of Young Lives vs Cancer, told The i Paper: ‘The upheaval on family life after a diagnosis is huge. We’re here to help support children, young people and their families through everything other than the clinical part of their treatment.
“We wrap our arms around that young person and we guide them through, making sure they know they’ve got an organisation, a community that they are part of, that is on their side and there to support them through what is just the worst time in their life.”
And that is why The i Paper is launching “A Home for Christmas” as our 2025 Christmas appeal with the goal of encouraging generous readers to raise £100,000 to help the charity continue its vital work in providing accommodation for families of those living with cancer up to the age of 25.
Young Lives vs Cancer runs 10 accommodation centres, known as “Homes from Home”, around the country, which offer young people and their families a free and comfortable place to stay near a hospital to ease the financial burden of travel and help keep families together during treatment.
Young Lives vs Cancer runs 10 accommodation centres called Homes from Home (Photo: Young Lives Vs Cancer)Because when a child is diagnosed with cancer, they desperately need to be with their families. While hospitals can provide world-beating medical treatment with expertly-trained and compassionate staff, they are never a home.
Thanks to the charity’s “Homes from Home”, families can have precious moments together while children are having treatment. From cooking a child’s favourite meal to being able to wash their comfiest pair of pyjamas, the homes can provide a reassuring touch of normality away from the noise and bustle of a hospital ward.
Watching a child undergo medical procedures that may take a hefty physical toll can be excruciating for parents. Having a space that allows them to be with their children when they open their eyes in the morning and kiss them goodnight when it’s time to go to sleep can make such trying times a little more bearable.
“A lot of parents feel really helpless,” said Ms Kirby-Rider. “But being able to do really simple, normal family things away from the clinical environment is really important. It gives them some peace and normality during a time that is far from normal for them.”
From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer specialist social workers provide day-to-day help, from information and guidance to financial assistance, for each child, young person and family. They work closely with doctors and other NHS professionals to offer tailored support in all the main children’s cancer treatment centres.
The social workers contact schools on a child or young person’s behalf, helping them stay in touch with friends, organising work at home so they don’t fall behind and helping prepare for a child’s return to school.
Young Lives vs Cancer Chief Executive Rachel Kirby-Rider is a tireless advocate for children and young people with cancer and their families, and finds inspiration from those helped by the charity
“I’ve always worked for causes that I’m really passionate about, where I feel there’s injustice affecting people or families. Cancer in children and young people is just a horrific experience. If we weren’t there for them, they wouldn’t have the support or ability to access the care they need and that, fundamentally, feels wrong.
“I was attracted by the cause but also by the way Young Lives vs Cancer delivers our service. We’re person-centric, we recognise that each child and young person and family is different and needs support that is consistent but right for them.
“As an organisation, I think we’re really bold and really brave. We deal with really difficult, complex circumstances day after day. It’s quite gritty and challenging, but we’re on the frontline doing something that’s really tangible and practical.
“That’s why it’s great to get the support of readers of The i Paper. They’ve always been so generous in previous years and it also gives us an opportunity to really share the impact of childhood cancer on families.
“You can see the effect that our homes have on families. They are places where parents and children feel safe, where they feel they can take a breath, away from the relentless treatment journey that they’re on. That is so powerful.
“Stories from the parents can also be powerful. I remember hearing about how before they knew they could have a place in a home, one parent had to sleep on the ward and the other slept in the car just because they couldn’t afford to travel home.
“Another mum I spoke to recently told me about her daughter, who was diagnosed with leukaemia. The steroids she was on affected her muscles and she wasn’t able to walk. So our social worker helped the family get a wheelchair which meant she could go to see her sister outside of hospital.
“I’ve never met such inspirational young people. They’re able to take a really traumatic experience and channel it into something that’s really powerful. Many want to give back to us, to help shape future service delivery by telling us of their experiences. They do it with such humour and humility. It’s inspirational on a daily basis.
“Those stories are a powerful reason to get up in the morning because I know the impact we’re making. Some charities are doing brilliant work but it’s not easy to see an impact on a day to day basis. We can. It feels like every single day we’re making a difference. And I love that.”
They also offer a welfare and housing support service and liaise with employers.
Last year, staff dealt with more than 2,200 queries on benefits, housing, debt and immigration. It is estimated that this service alone helped families save more than £1m.
On average, families face £700 of extra costs per month during treatment. The charity’s financial hardship grant can be a lifeline while young people and families navigate the welfare system to access the benefits and other financial support they’re entitled to because of a cancer diagnosis.
Recent research found that families were forced to wait seven months on average for disability living allowance or a personal independence payment, a delay which only adds to the considerable strain many are under.
A survey also discovered that seven out of ten families struggle with the extra cost of travel. It found that one in 10 families and young people were in such financial distress from the cost of travelling to a hospital that they were opting out of their treatment.
Your next read
square MOTABILITYI’m already on the breadline – Motability reforms will leave me trapped at home
square IMMIGRATIONHow much the Home Office spends on asylum seekers as taxi service axed
square STUDENT LOANS ExclusiveThousands of graduates dodging £1bn student loan repayments after leaving UK
square MOTABILITY‘I need my car to get to hospital – Motability reform is punishing the disabled’
This year, the charity has made 4,889 grants, totalling £750,000, to help cover essential costs such as travel, food and household bills. But Ms Kirby-Rider said demand for the charity’s help was only likely to increase in future in light of the country’s expected population growth.
“We’re a charity that is completely funded by voluntary donations. So every single year we have to be able to find £25m just to deliver our service as we currently do,” she said.
“Costs are going up and financial resilience has deteriorated. So many families are coming to us without any safety net. Many are already impacted by the financial difficulties we’re all experiencing in the country. So the need for our service is greater than ever. It’s never been needed more.”
A Home for Christmas appeal
The i Paper is proud to support Young Lives vs Cancer through its Christmas Appeal, A Home for Christmas, helping to make a lasting difference for families with children facing cancer.
The appeal aims to raise £100,000 to ensure the charity can continue providing vital, tailored support – from financial guidance and emotional care to its “Homes from Home” accommodation centres, which allow families to stay together near hospital during treatment.
To donate, visit younglivesvscancer.org.uk/i-appeal or text IPAPERTEN to 70580 to donate £10 or IPAPERTWENTY to donate £20.*Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
What your money could buy
£5 could print five storybooks to help a child understand the cancer treatment they are having. £10 could buy food so families can cook a meal to enjoy together away from the hospital canteen. £18 helps power a Home from Home for a day. £52 means a social worker could provide emotional and practical support (such as applying for financial help or attending difficult appointments) so children and their families don’t have to face cancer alone. £70 could pay for a family stay in a Young Lives vs Cancer Home from Home so they can be near their child in hospital with cancer. £100 could fund a hardship grant for families.Hence then, the article about children with cancer need their families you can help them stay together was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Children with cancer need their families – you can help them stay together )
Also on site :
- Masonite International Corporation Sued for Securities Law Violations - Contact the DJS Law Group to Discuss Your Rights - DOOR
- For Iran’s Rulers, Refusing U.S. Demands Is a Risk Worth Taking
- Battered by Gaza war, Israel's tech sector in recovery mode