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Cancer should never get in the way of a child’s future

Cancer treatments are developed to target cancer cells and kill them. Unfortunately, they often also impact normal healthy cells in the body which can cause debilitating side effects for young patients. Sadly, 2 out of 3 childhood cancer survivors will be affected by the long-term side effects caused by their cancer or its treatment.

These long-term effects are known as late effects and whilst they will vary from individual to individual, they can include heart conditions, lung damage, cognitive impairment, as well as emotional and mental health issues.

Every child should get to enjoy growing up without suffering from the late effects of their treatment. That is why research into developing kinder and safer treatments, specifically tailored to treating childhood cancer without damaging children’s growing bodies is urgently needed.

This Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, your donation will help fund vital research like this so that every child with cancer not only survives but can grow up happy and healthy. Without generous supporters like you, research like this may not be possible. Thank you.

Dylan’s story

I remember bursting into tears when we were told that my little boy, Dylan, had cancer – my first thought was that he was going to die.

The doctors told us he had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer, but when it came to telling Dylan, I wanted to be the one to do it – I didn’t want him to find out from someone else. Straightaway, he voiced my greatest fear. “Am I going to die?” he asked. The thought that my little eight year old knew he might not survive was devastating.

During his treatment, Dylan endured chemotherapy, lumbar punctures, intravenous (IV) therapy and steroids, which all made him very unwell. The steroids in particular made his body swell and he suffered from intense and frequent mood swings. His personality completely changed and it was extremely hard to deal with at the time; he simply was not the Dylan I knew.

After three years of chemotherapy, Dylan did finish his treatment and as a family we were able to celebrate the special day when he rang the end of treatment bell. I’m beyond grateful that Dylan was able to ring the bell. My son Dylan has been through so much since finding out he had cancer. He still suffers from many side effects caused by the harsh treatments he was on to treat the cancer and these affect his daily life today. We all expected these side effects to go away, but I now know that was wishful thinking. He dreams of being a GP, but I’m scared he won’t be able to achieve the future he so wants and deserves.

Please donate this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month to help fund research into developing less harmful treatments so that children like my Dylan can survive, grow up happy and healthy and chase their dreams.

Lorraine, Dylan’s mum.