Scottish Cancer Survivor

Euan Mutch (13) from Edinburgh, who at the age of three was diagnosed with cancer, has today (3 Dec) six and a half years after his treatment for cancer ended, helped launch a new survivor taskforce on behalf of children’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent.

The taskforce, which is been unveiled to mark the start of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (December), will make sure that more is done to improve the lives of other children and young people battling cancer. 

Euan was three when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.   His memory of his ordeal is sketchy, but his mum Kirsten explains what the experience was like: “Euan lost his hair, had sickness and a poor appetite, apart from when he was on steroids and then his appetite would go the other way completely. The worst effect was that it made him very susceptible to infections and viruses; therefore, he had to be kept off nursery, later on school and away from public places. He also had skin rashes, a lot of mood swings and was often quite tired, wanting to be carried a lot.

“After three years on treatment he came off his medication in April 2001.  Initially he suffered from a lack of confidence, but now he’s back to being a normal healthy 13-year-old boy.  He doesn’t talk about his experiences a lot, but occasionally if he sees something on the TV he does tell me that he remembers that happening to him. Euan is delighted to be one of the seven survivors fronting Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; if by telling his story he can help others survive their cancer experience that is great.”

The survivor taskforce that Euan and the six other cancer survivors fronting the month-long awareness campaign have unveiled, will be made up of 12 cancer survivors and other professionals from the cancer field. It will influence the way CLIC Sargent develops services benefiting children and young people with cancer. It will also examine research commissioned by CLIC Sargent looking at the difficulties that survivors of childhood cancer can face after treatment, and it will inform, on behalf of CLIC Sargent, the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative, which is being headed up by the National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards.

Dr Carole Easton, Chief Executive of CLIC Sargent explains: “Thirty years ago only three in 10 children survived childhood cancer. Now more than seven in 10 children can expect to survive their illness. But survival often comes at a price, leaving children and young people with other long-term medical problems, and huge gaps in their primary and secondary education.

“Treatment for cancer can be highly toxic and can take years and involve very long stays in hospital. Children and young people like Euan can miss so much during these important developing years. We have concerns that there is a lack of educational and emotional support for young people during treatment and transition back to home life and school.”

In addition to helping to launch the survivor taskforce, Euan and the six other survivors, have shared their experiences of cancer on film; in a new DVD entitled ‘surviving cancer’, Euan talks about how having cancer has affected him. He also talks about how CLIC Sargent, as the UK’s leading children’s cancer charity, has helped him and his family survive this traumatic experience.  The film can be viewed online at www.clicsargent.org.uk/Getinvolved/ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, CLIC Sargent will be selling survivor bear key rings.  Available in six different colours, the bears cost £1.50 each. All profits from the sale of survivor bears will help CLIC Sargent fund services benefiting children and young people with cancer, helping ensure that they and their families get their lives back afterwards. Survivor Bears are available from www.clicsargent.org.uk/onlineshop and selected branches of Budgens, Jessops and  Virgin Vie throughout December.

For more information about CLIC Sargent and the services it provides, log onto: www.clicsargent.org.uk or call the Child Cancer Helpline on 0800 197 0068.
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