Cancer carers changing lives and offering help at 'worst time of people's lives'

14 December 2023 , 19:59

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On the team: Hatty helps patients and their families (Image: CHRIS NEILL)

It’s one of the biggest challenges any family will face. But when a child or young person is told they have cancer, Young Lives vs Cancer has a caring team of expert specialists ready to help.

The charity – our chosen partner for this year’s Christmas Appeal – provides 150 specially trained social workers to offer emotional, practical and financial support. It is the only service of its kind in the UK.

Team member Hatty Slovak, a paediatric oncology social worker, explains: “We’re there to take on whatever we can on families’ behalf, to offer help at what is often the worst time of people’s life.”

The service offers support for children, young adults (aged 16 to 25) and their families as they come to terms with a cancer diagnosis. They offer tailored care, often for years at a time and up to 12 months after treatment ends. That can include everything from applying for benefits and grants, to organising morale-boosting treats, providing accommodation, and in worst cases, helping with end-of-life care, funerals and bereavement.

Hatty, 42, said: “We offer families a holiday pack, in the UK or abroad. Our providers understand the situation so there aren’t worries about cancelling or healthcare. So many unexpected costs come with a cancer diagnosis. We are there for as much as people want us to be.”

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Working with bereaved families is an important part of their work. Hatty’s colleague, Kelly Allen, 41, adds: “Death and grief can still feel like such taboo subjects and we can have those difficult conversations. We can help putting together keepsakes, but also helping people cope at tricky times like Christmas.”

Our appeal

Last year the team worked with over 7,000 young people and helped them access £1.4million in grants. Today we are chatting at Jack’s House in Manchester – one of the charity’s Home from Home centres.

Near specialist cancer hospital, The Christie, it provides nine en-suite rooms, kitchen facilities, and a garden cabin with sofas, bean bags and a TV – a teenager’s dream.

“They can have their own space,” Kelly says. “Each person is different. So much of what we do is about listening and responding to need.”

Claire Donnelly