You don't really meet many other young people in life that can
say their sibling has or had cancer. However after my younger
sister was diagnosed with cancer I became a part of a select group
that can.
During her treatment our whole family was under pressure, living in
Balclutha meant we had to travel a lot for her treatments and tests
in Dunedin. Fortunately she was put into remission after her
treatment and can now get on with the rest of her life.
It was pretty hard watching my sister go through something like
that. It's something you never expect. It was especially hard
dealing with people who didn't quite understand what it was like
watching my sister's illness from the sidelines.
Talking about cancer is hard enough, but talking about it with
people who don't understand is even harder. CanTeen is an
absolutely fantastic organisation that supports young people
through their cancer journey. It has given my siblings and I
fantastic opportunities to attend camps and workshops where we get
to meet others with similar experiences. I have gained so much from
my time with CanTeen, and have gained so many new
friends, many of whose journeys are truly inspirational.
CanTeen has supported me and my siblings through tough times and
I can testify to how important it is, through each and every cancer
journey, to know you're not alone.