Harry Judd opens Teenage Cancer Trust interim facility at Addenbrooke's

McFly drummer, Harry Judd today officially opened Teenage Cancer Trust and Addenbrooke's Hospital first specialist facility for young adult cancer patients in the region.

 

Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that helps young people fight cancer, is developing a specialist unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for 13-24 year olds diagnosed with cancer. The new ten-bed unit is due to be complete in 2010. The Oasis Centre, opened today, has been built in the interim to provide a lounge, kitchen/diner, therapy room and study room for young cancer patients in the region, regardless of where they are being treated.

 

At the opening, Harry Judd said: ‘I am really proud to be supporting Teenage Cancer Trust. The Oasis looks amazing, and I can’t wait to see the new unit. I am so impressed with the positive environment here and I know that this centre, and the new unit, will make a huge difference to young people with cancer, giving them the ability to chill with each other and still be teenagers.’

 

Laura, 24, was diagnosed with lymphoblastic lymphoma at the age of 20. She said ‘I felt so isolated during my treatment. Being treated on an adult ward meant that I was surrounded by people a lot older than me that I couldn’t relate to. This interim facility is fantastic, and is definitely more suited to young people. It gives you a chance to get away from the typical hospital environment and just hang out and do normal things while you’re having your treatment. The new Teenage Cancer Trust unit will make such a different to young people, like me, diagnosed with cancer’

 

Dr Helen Hatcher, oncologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, said ‘The Oasis Centre is already making a dramatic impact on the care of young people and their families. There is already increased peer support and the new Teenage Cancer Trust unit will only enhance this.’

 

Unlike an ordinary hospital ward, Teenage Cancer Trust’s unit at Addenbrooke’s will be as close as possible to a young person’s life outside. The private rooms will include vibrant wall designs and state-of-the-art technology allowing young people to keep in touch with their friends. It will boast a kitchen area, recreational space, chill out room and family room, as well as a social area for day case treatment. Most importantly the unit will provide the opportunity for teenagers to be treated alongside other people of a similar age.

 

In total, the unit will cost the charity over £2million to develop and build, half of which needs to be raised locally.

 

New Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Service website launched!

 

A new website - www.cforward.org.uk has been launched specifically for Teenage and Young Adult Cancer patients at Addenbrooke's.

 

It features interactive zones where the user makes the content: share stories with other like minded people in the Peer Support Zone; the Gallery is designed to showcase pictures of events patients have been involved in and the Jukebox plays an music. You can also watch videos and learn more about Jimmy Teens and find all the information you’d expect about Cforward.

 

> C-Forward