Young cancer survivor calls on Boris Johnson to give charities ‘urgent financial support’
Helen Haar, 24, who is from the PM’s constituency, was supported by CLIC Sargent after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma
A young cancer survivor has called on Boris Johnson to provide urgent financial support to the charity who supported her throughout her treatment.
Helen Haar, 24, who is from the Prime Minister’s constituency, was supported by CLIC Sargent, after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 20 shortly after starting her second year at university. But the vital support she received is now under threat for other young people facing cancer as the coronavirus crisis has had a devastating impact on the charity.
Since the start of the pandemic, CLIC Sargent, which relies 100 per cent on voluntary donations, has seen a 60 per cent fall in income. The charity has had to put almost all its fundraising events on hold, leaving it facing an £8m drop in the income which pays for support such as social workers to support cancer patients, homes near hospitals where families can stay for free and grants to help pay for essentials such as food or travelling for treatment.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announced an £750m for charities two months ago, yet CLIC Sargent has still not received any financial help from the support package. The charity is now asking the public to email their local MP and join their call to the government for funding. Supporters are also being encouraged to tweet their MP, to help highlight the need for support further.
‘Isolating and lonely’
📢 @BorisJohnson Young cancer survivor Helen lives in your constituency and is urging you not to forget young cancer patients during the coronavirus pandemic. She’s joining our call for urgent financial support so we can continue supporting families across the UK. pic.twitter.com/FMdj7Q0sZ3
— CLIC Sargent (@CLIC_Sargent) July 15, 2020
In a video to the Prime Minister, Helen said: “I’m calling out to you, Boris Johnson, as my MP and Prime Minister. Going through cancer treatment as a young person is extremely isolating and lonely. CLIC Sargent were there for me every step of the way. Without them I would have been lost.
“CLIC Sargent have been severely impacted by coronavirus and now I’m calling on you to help them continue to support children and young people with cancer. They are asking the UK government to provide them with £750,000 which will continue to help provide vital care and support to around 1,200 families for up to six months.
“CLIC Sargent support is a lifeline for families, just like mine. Please don’t let children and young people be forgotten during this pandemic.”
At 20, Helen was too old to be admitted to the Teenage Cancer Trust unit so she was on the general adult ward. She remembers being one of the youngest by far, and feeling quite alone in her situation.
Her CLIC Sargent social worker introduced her to other young people with cancer, so she was able to speak to people who were going through similar experiences to her.
Helen said: “You can’t compare someone who’s having treatment at 20 to having treatment at 50 or someone having treatment at three years old. It was nice to find other young people my age or around my age so I could think ‘it’s not strange what I’m feeling, it’s normal’.”
Helen went on to have six months of chemotherapy before going into remission just before Christmas in December 2016. After having to stop university the first time around, Helen is now due to start a degree in social work this September, inspired by the support she received while going through cancer.
“I don’t know how I would have coped without CLIC Sargent. My experience would have probably not been a good one. I wouldn’t have known any of the avenues available to get help,” she said.
Source:iNews By: Paul Gallagher
Support families fighting financial toxicity of cancer – here.