Supporting Children With Cancer
We are so proud to support children with cancer during the toughest time of their lives, but we need your help to make them feel like the superheroes they are.
By donating to us, you can help create a positive and comfortable environment for these brave individuals. Let's explore how your contributions have already made an impact and how you can continue to support them.
Challenges Faced by Young Patients
Children going through radiotherapy treatment at the QE can last up to six weeks, with sessions held five days a week.
This intensive schedule takes a toll on patients of all ages. However, it becomes even more challenging for young patients as they need to be anesthetised to ensure they remain still during treatment. Waking up disoriented and frightened in an unfamiliar adult hospital environment adds to their difficulties.
Arlo’s Story
Two-year-old Arlo, underwent radiotherapy treatment and received a Little Linac building set. Arlo's father, Stephen, expressed how grateful they were to have something to distract Arlo during the emotional journey.
Recognising the Tomotherapy unit from the Little Linac set made the treatment less scary for Arlo and less emotional for the family. Arlo also proudly shared his Little Linac with family and friends, becoming a source of inspiration for others.
Through play, the building bricks also help the radiographer bond with the patient, creating trust and reduce anxiety.
Radiotherapy Masks
Many children require a specially made radiotherapy mask to ensure precise treatment without harming healthy tissue. However, these masks can be bulky and clinical, causing feelings of confinement, claustrophobia, or fear.
Your support enables the charity to provide a specialist artist to paint each mask, making them personalized and unique. This not only helps an anxious children feel at ease during treatment but also empower them to share their journey with others. These masks relieve stress for both the children and their parents, offering a sense of ownership over their cancer journey.
Once treatment is complete, children can proudly showcase their special masks at school, helping them explain their experience to friends. Moreover, the process of choosing a character for the mask strengthens the bond and trust between clinical staff and patients, leading to better communication and a smoother treatment journey.
Other Ways We Support Our Mini Superheroes
As well as the Little Linac building bricks and the painted masks, we have created a dedicated children's play area in the waiting room, providing a safe space where young patients can meet others going through similar experiences, helping them cope with their treatment journey.
We also provide personalised blankets for the patients to use during treatment as their bodies can feel cold with not moving for a while.
When they finish their treatment we also give them a toy to mark their bravery and resilience to come through such a challenge.
By donating, you help create a supportive environment, provide personalised blankets and toys, offer educational tools like the Little Linac, and transform clinical masks into personalised works of art.
Let's make these young heroes feel empowered and cared for during their challenging treatment journeys.
Keeping Families Together
Many families have to travel a significant distance so that their children can undergo treatment at the QE. Unfortunately, due to a lack of affordable and appropriate accommodation, patients and their families are not always able to be together during periods of extended hospital treatment.
With hundreds of children and young people receiving treatment at the hospital every year, the homes away from home are certainly needed for patients and their families.
Our home from home provides a place for families to stay, just a five minute walk from the hospital where their loved ones are being treated. Families are able to use the home, free of charge, for any length of time, enabling them to remain close to their children whilst they are being treated.
We are extremely proud to have this home from home to provide an essential space for families of children and young adults receiving cancer treatment here at the QE.
You can help us keep the home open and running for families in need by donating today.