Being a teen/young adult is already a time in life filled with unknowns and fears, and, when you’re diagnosed with cancer, everything you think you have planned out gets pushed aside. It was difficult to see others move on in school and continue their social lives, while I focused on getting well. My friends also found it difficult when they came to see me at the hospital – afraid to say or do the wrong thing. 

Being a young person with cancer is not easy to deal with. There seems to be a greater support system for older adults or younger children but the teen/ young adult group gets lost, and, unfortunately, the number of people in that category being diagnosed is growing. Having the support of peers in the same age category makes us feel that we are not alone and that there are resources pertinent for our particular stage of life, making the battle easier to fight.