Young Lives vs Cancer supports children facing cancer in Scotland

Everything changes when a child is diagnosed with cancer. Things that used to be simple suddenly become complicated, confusing and exhausting. That’s where we step in. We’re Young Lives vs Cancer, a children’s cancer charity that supports young people in Scotland and across the UK.

How we helped last year

Our social workers are experts in supporting families with the day-to-day challenges that come with a child’s cancer diagnosis, everything from money worries to mental health. For young people facing cancer in Scotland last year, we secured 326 grants for families worth £65,120 that went towards helping with the costs of a cancer diagnosis.

Our Homes from Home are a free place for families to stay close to specialist treatment centres. In Scotland, we welcomed 66 families who stayed with us a combined total of 1927 days across Ciaran’s House in Edinburgh, and Marion’s House in Glasgow. These homes mean families avoid the extra financial burdens of travel, accommodation and food costs. They also let young cancer patients stay close to their loved ones, keeping the family together at a difficult time.

Last year, we helped over 500 Scottish families find the strength to face everything cancer throws at them and we’ll keep on helping more – but we can’t do it without you.

Aaron’s Story

On what should’ve been his first day at high school, Aaron started chemotherapy, aged 11. He had been diagnosed with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma during the school holidays. His main treatment was in Edinburgh, which could take up to three hours to travel to from home. His mum, Marianne, shares his story:

“Aaron’s treatment was gruelling, with over a year of chemotherapy. The help Young Lives vs Cancer provides is so essential for families. We’d have been lost without Ciaran’s House and the support and advice from Heather, our Young Lives vs Cancer Social Worker.”

A place to stay

“Heather sorted us a room at Ciaran’s House and we stayed the night before every treatment cycle. This completely took away any stress of travelling to the hospital for 8am. The Home also helped when Aaron became very unwell on treatment, he lost so much weight and couldn’t eat. He ended up with a gastrostomy and travelling back and forth to Edinburgh became unbearable for him.

Living and travel costs mount when your child has cancer, so having a Home from Home was financially invaluable. We could stay in hospital for up to four days at a time for each treatment cycle, longer at times when he became unwell. During radiotherapy we stayed at Ciaran’s House for six full weeks. I had already given up work to look after Aaron so we could never have afforded a hotel or rental costs.”

Family time

“Being at Ciaran’s House also meant my husband, Lucas, and younger son, Elliot, could stay and visit Aaron in hospital. With Lucas there I could have a decent shower, catch up on all the washing, and spend time with Elliot. It also meant the world to Aaron. When he was well enough he could escape the hospital ward to sit with his brother on the Xbox for an afternoon in a safe, clean place. The boys loved this time they could spend together away from the busy and noisy hospital.”