Hidden costs of childhood cancer highlighted by Black Isle family to raise awareness of issue at part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month; CLIC Sargent says 4,450 young cancer patients across the UK have spent around £5 million travelling to hospital in past year
A FAMILY is shining the light on the hidden costs of childhood cancer after highlighting their experiences of travelling hundreds of miles for treatment for their son.
The Gallachers, from Culbokie, hope to raise vital awareness of the issue during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Daniel, aged nine, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in December 2016. Parents Alison and Kevin faced a 360 mile round-trip to get their son to hospital in Glasgow following the shock diagnosis.
Alison said: “When Daniel was diagnosed I was in shock and denial. I’m a GP – denial and anger are the emotions I hear my patients talking about when they get a cancer diagnosis, and I felt no different.
“We told Daniel that he had cancer and I didn’t really think he’d know what cancer meant. The first thing he asked was ‘Am I going to die?’. It was tough, but we talked to him about how the chemotherapy was going to take the cancer cells away and make him better. The first few weeks went by in a blur.
“We were transferred to Glasgow, which is a 360 mile round-trip from home in Culbokie. At first we were in hospital in Glasgow for about six months so Kevin was travelling up and down regularly, at least once a week. It can take about four hours there and another four hours back and uses up a tank of diesel which costs £85 a time.”
During Daniel’s cancer treatment in Glasgow, the family were able to stay at one of CLIC Sargent’s Homes from Home for free.
Alison said: “The Home from Home was a lifeline for us. My husband was travelling up and down to home to be with us, as well as continue with work and make sure that our other son Conor was okay.
“The boys called the CLIC Sargent Home from Home ‘the hotel’ – they thought it was amazing! It felt so normal, nothing like being in hospital or your regular hospital accommodation. Without the Home from Home I’m not sure what we’d have done - we would’ve been lost without it.”
Families face an average round-trip of 60 miles to get to and from hospital for treatment, spending at least £180 a month on travel when treatment is at its most intense. Children and young people with cancer have to travel to specialist centres across the UK for treatment, which is often not their local hospital.
As well as getting to and from hospital, families’ face other added costs when a child is diagnosed with cancer, spending an average of £600 a month extra, on top of everyday expenses and bills. The biggest expenses families face other than travel include food, hospital car parking, energy bills and car-related costs.
Alison said: “We managed the best we could with finances. You don’t have a choice – you will sacrifice the money to get your child to hospital. Our CLIC Sargent Social Worker Evelyn helped us to apply for benefits and also gave us a grant which helped massively.”
Daniel has moved on to regular, less intensive chemotherapy, which is mainly done at the family’s local hospital in Inverness, a 30 mile round-trip from home. They make this journey at least once a week.
The Gallacher family are just one of thousands of families affected by these issues each year. Since September last year, another 4,450 young cancer patients and their families across the UK have spent around £5 million simply travelling to treatment.
Last year in Inverness, CLIC Sargent supported 21 families, giving out 19 financial grants worth £4,500, helping families to cope with the costs of cancer.
Now CLIC Sargent is calling on the public to help raise vital funds to support families like the Gallachers who are facing the costs of cancer. They can get their own specially designed CLIC Sargent gold ribbon pin badge for a suggested donation of £1. Pin badges are available in CLIC Sargent’s online shop and charity shops, and through corporate partners at J D Wetherspoon pubs, and select H Samuel and Ernest Jones stores. A gold ribbon pin badge is also available in Morrisons stores.
Donna Bednarek, CLIC Sargent Fundraising Engagement Manager for North of Scotland, said: “When cancer strikes young lives CLIC Sargent fights tirelessly to limit the damage it causes beyond their health.
“I’m calling on the kind people of Culbokie and Inverness to get behind CLIC Sargent this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and wear their pin badge with pride! CLIC Sargent receives no government funding so donating will help us to be there for more families who are experiencing debilitating travel costs.”
To get your pin badge and find out more about supporting CLIC Sargent this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month go to: www.clicsargent.org.uk/ccam
