A charity that provides support for teenagers and young people with cancer has expanded to Aberdeen – and is now looking even further north.
The Teenage Cancer Trust has specialist units in Glasgow and Edinburgh, meaning young cancer sufferers have their own relaxed, specially designed area – away from the sick kids’ hospital and adult wards.
Now the trust has created two new nursing posts in Aberdeen, allowing them to offer tailored care and age-appropriate advice.
Diane Brands and Amanda Copland are based at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, and will offer onsite support for those across the Grampian region.
Dawn Crosby, regional service manager for the charity, said they also wanted to support young people before diagnosis and explained that they also go into schools to teach youngsters about the warning signs for cancer.
She added: “We have been into every secondary school in the AB postcode are apart from four, but I’m hopeful we will get them covered before the end of this year.
“It’s important that children know the signs to look out for.
“It is the last thing you would expect a child to be diagnosed with and it is still quite rare – but it sadly, does happen.
“We have heard of a few people going away and leaving one of our talks to then go on to get a diagnosis.”
The charity is also planning to appoint a nurse in Inverness and another in Dundee this year.
Lead nurse for the trust, Liz Watt said it was important to let the patients know they were supported and the “relaxed” atmosphere they offered.
She said: “It’s absolutely essential that every young person with cancer is reached and no young person faces cancer alone.
“This new outreach service will see additional teams of TCT nurses taking specialist care beyond the TCT units in Glasgow and Edinburgh, to wherever young people with cancer are being treated, whether that’s in their local hospitals, at home or elsewhere.”
The trust organises an annual weekend gathering of patients dubbed the Find Your Sense of Tumour conference which offers them the chance to speak to other people in similar circumstances to their own.
To find out more, visit www.teenagecancertrust.org