Kids With Cancer Support Group

Charity Grant

My mum's side of the family all but two died from cancer....

So What is Cancer??

Cancer is a group of diseases that involve the uncontrollable growth ad spread of abnormal cells. Good and healthy cells have a normal life cycle; they grow divide and die. Cancer cells start out as good cells that unfortunatly turn bad. Cancer cells then take on an abmormal life cycle, they grow and divide but instead of dying they keep growing and dividing. The problem arises when the abnormal cells go berserk, outlast and sometimes overtake the good cells.

Cancer is a group of diseases that involve the uncontrollable growth and spread of abnormal cells. Good healthy cells in the body have a normal life cycle: they grow, divide and die. Cancer cells starts out as good healthy cells that unfortunately then turn bad. Cancer cells take on an abnormal life cycle, they grow and divide, but instead of dying, they keep growing and dividing. The problem arises when the abnormal cancer cells go berserk, grow uncontrollably and sometimes outlast and over take the good healthy cells.

The Good News Is....

- Abnormal cells can be treated, destroyed, demolished and killed!!!

- Cancer cells are not contageous

- The five year survival rate from adolescent cancer patients diognosed around 1990 exceeded 70%!!!

- There are alot of support groups like CanTeen for young people living with cancer!!

The Bad News...

-Treating abmormal cells can be a long and painful process

- Hospitals can be boring lonely places

- Adjusting to life with cancer can be hard at times!!

- Little is known why adolescent cancer occurs


CanTeen is a New Zealand orginisation supporting Young people living with cancer. CanTeen believes that the best way to help these young people is to have people talk to them who have been through it. CanTeen is for anyone who is between the ages of 13-24 living with cancer who needs the support and friendships of people who are going through the same thing right now. Imagine how much easier dealing with cancer could be when you are surrounded by people who have been there or are going through it now. You don't have to feel alone do you?? As alot of people would feel. CanTeen kids regularly get together all over NZ for summer camps, weekends away, workshops, support groups and all kinds of other recreational events that help them to socialise with each other. They also support each other in hospitals and even in their own homes!! CanTeen is not only available to those who have cancer but to the family of those who are going through cancer. To get to know other people in their situaton to learn more about what is going on in the body of someone with Cancer.

The CanTeen Million Dollar Challenge!
Bandanna Week is a nationwide event and CanTeen is asking all of NZ to come on board and take up the CanTeen Million Dollar Challenge!!! Join Boh Runga, The Morning Madhouse, Dan Carter, and fashion labl Federation(along with talented CanTeeners) who have helped by designing bandannas this year. These designs will be for sale during Bandanna Week 15-21 October.

Bandanna Week is THE major fundraising event for CanTeen, a national peer support network for young people age 13-24years living with Cancer. The bandanna became a symbol for CanTeen because many young people choose to wear then after losing their hair as a side effect to cancer treatments.

"After you meet CanTeen members you can't help but be inspired by them and what CanTeen does to support young people living with cancer. everyone can make a difference by buying a bandanna during Bandanna week" says pugby player Dan Carter.

CanTeen believes the best people to supprot young people living with Cancer are their peers- those who 'have been there done that' or a going through similar experiences. Living with cancer is traumatic at anytime, but even more so for young people that are already facing challenge of identity, independence, education, relationships, intimacy, and employment.

Using Mimistry of Health Statistice, CanTeen estimates there are currently 12,500 young people up to the age of 24 living with Cancer, either as a patient or a sibling. It is estimated that on average there are 354 eligible new CanTeen members each year.

" Since it's inception CanTeen has had a clear foucus on the needs of young people lving with cancer. CanTeen's foundation was built upon the fundamental belief that young people, through meering, talking and sharing experiences, would be better able to cope with the uncertainties of living with Cancer." says CanTeen Brand Manager Jade Phillips.

During Bandanna week CanTeen is also auctioning off some very special bandannas which have been designed by celebrities including, Kylie Minogue, Donald Trump, Zach Braff, Orlando Bloom, Elle Macpherson, and Jonny Depp.

By Suppoting CanTeen you are helping provide the following services for young people living with cancer:

* The development and maintenance of support prgrammes such as, Good Grief, Teenlink and SAFE Talk.

* To fund clinical trials and research into adolescent cancer, as wll as contributing 3 dedicated Adolescent Oncology nurses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

* Additional research to implement and manage programes for members throughout NZ

*Recreational activities- doing things like Gpo Karting, paintballing, camps- activities to give a sense of normalcy and fun in what can be a scary stressful time
Posted on 10/26/07, 08:10 pm