Appreciating the small things and embracing every opportunity
Sarah Dransfield was diagnosed with bone cancer in March 2012 aged 16. Here, she tells us what helped her during and after treatment and how cancer has changed her outlook on life.
iCanMove: The physical activity pathway helping children and young people stay active during treatment
Louise Graham is a clinical specialist paediatric physiotherapist at The Great North Children’s Hospital. She tells us about how she created a physical activity pathway to help children and young people (CYP) with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) stay active, and how she hopes to develop this to support all CYP with cancer.
Understanding experiences to improve access to light treatment for chemotherapy side effect
Dr Claudia Heggie is a paediatric dentist at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. She’s been leading research looking at the use of photobiomodulation, a light treatment, to prevent a side effect of chemotherapy called mucositis, and how it can be best introduced in other children’s cancer centres.
“I’m out of the shadows of trauma and into the light of living”
Teifi Rowley was diagnosed with cancer as a baby and again a few years later. They tell us about Anniben, a drag character they created that has helped them process the long-term impact of treatment through creativity and performance.
60 seconds with Emily Baker
Emily Baker, clinical research nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and CCLG member, tells us about her career so far, the most rewarding part of her job, and more.
“Writing gave me something to focus on”
Raysa Farah’s son, S’aad, was diagnosed with leukaemia aged two. Here, she explains how her and S’aad’s experiences during his treatment inspired her to write a children’s book, empowering both her and other young children with cancer.
Donating cancer samples for research
A biobank is a store for cancer samples which are then released for research studies. Professor Deb Tweddle, Director of VIVO Biobank, Professor of Paediatric Oncology and Honorary Consultant at Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals, and Dr Mariya Geneshka, Research Associate at the University of York, tell us more about donating samples for biobanking, and its importance to improving treatment and care.
The importance of involving parents in shaping research and resources for families
Helen Pearson, Advanced Nurse Practitioner in solid tumours, researcher and CCLG member, explains how the findings of a study have helped co-design an important new web resource to support families.
Toby's story
Toby was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in March 2020 when he was just two years old. His mum, Leah, shares his story.