According to Belinda, school was important to her daughter as it enabled her to stay in contact with her friends. "Year 12 was a social network - by June the disease was progressing rapidly but all her friends were at school".
Young Australian cancer patients aged 15-25 can access specialist, age-appropriate treatment and support through the Youth Cancer Services, which receive federal funding through CanTeen as well as state and territory government funding. To find out more, visit http://www.youthcancer.com.au
To connect with other young people who understand what dealing with cancer is like, join CanTeen’s online community at http://www.canteen.org.au/join
The opinions shown here reflect personal cancer experiences and don’t necessarily represent the views of CanTeen or the Youth Cancer Services. If you find any of the content distressing, you can call a CanTeen counsellor on 1800 835 932 (10am – 10pm AEST weekdays, 10am-6pm weekends) or LifeLine on 13 11 14.