A partnership has recently been announced between two United Kingdom-based charities who want to stop cancer from destroying young lives. In the UK alone, about 1,800 new cancer cases arise in children every year. That’s around five each day.
CLIC Sargent, a charity organization which provides specialist support to children and teens facing a cancer diagnosis, has announced it will join forces with Contact to provide a broader range of services which will benefit more families.
“Our partnership with Contact will allow us to offer families more specialist support and information on local services which will help to limit the damage cancer causes beyond a young person’s health, so that they can focus on getting well,” said Andrew Cooper, the Associate Director of Services at CLIC Sargent.
Contact, a charity organization founded in the 1970s by the families of disabled children, will aid CLIC in offering a range of specialist advice, covering issues such as education, work and childcare, while also providing support during and after treatment.
Expanding Current Resources
Anne Brook, Director of Family Support Services at Contact, says, “Lots of families we work with struggle to navigate our very complex welfare, health and social care systems to find the vital help they need. That’s why we are here to offer advice, support and information about any aspect of raising a child with any medical condition, additional need or disability.”
This newly expanded network will include access to a variety of educational resources, including how to apply for financial help. “Families also find that their finances take a hit, with a parent either reducing their hours at work or stopping work completely so that they can be with their child. This happens at a time where bills are going up, with extra travel costs, energy bills, or even hospital car parking charges,” says Cooper.
This partnership will allow both organizations to help limit the damage caused by cancer beyond health, so families can focus on getting well instead of paying bills. Other outreach initiatives will aim to teach families about hiring in-home aides, renting and using medical equipment and finding locally linked support groups. These resources are available to any person affected by cancer, including grandparents, uncles and cousins, not just patients and their immediate families.
A Focus on Healing
Both groups recognize that a cancer diagnosis can completely disrupt a child or teen’s life. Whether by moving, an extended hospital stay or by having to forgo an education. Brook says, “For some children the impact of their treatment will mean that they will have ongoing education support needs.”
Due to these massive disruptions, a link to organizations like CLIC and Contact is vital for both kids and family members, with a partnership necessary to provide for those in need. “Working in partnership with CLIC Sargent will enable us to get the essential information that families need at the earliest opportunity, leading to the best possible outcome for them,” says Brook.
It’s true, the best outcomes are brought on by the promotion of cancer education. The more people who educate themselves about cancer — including causes, symptoms and effects — the more who can detect the disease early. With breast cancer alone, early detection is the leading factor in the decline of deaths. In most cases, the earlier you detect cancer, the better the chances of eradicating it.
Organizations who focus on cancer education, as well as treatment, can provide patients and families with the support they need to get through treatment and excel beyond. They also support the eradication of disease through early detection methods like free screenings, which can identify potentially dangerous cells.
