Young adults with cancer often encounter a unique set of issues and challenges.
- They generally feel isolated and alone or "too young" to have cancer
- Their peers are unlikely to understand cancer, let alone know how to behave or support someone who has it
- They are typically just starting careers or families and come across financial struggles during treatment, not being able to work, or be well enough to care for a young family
- Their parents and siblings are often left out of the support process and are left to deal with little information and resources
- They face fertility issues
- They may not have sufficient health insurance
- They face intimacy and relationship struggles through their cancer journey
- Some are living in regional areas with little resources and support
- Most importantly cancer forces many young adults to prematurely face their own mortality
(We would like to thank the many Doctors, Oncologists, specialist cancer Social Workers and other professionals, as well as the many young adults with cancer and their families for consulting with us about the above list of unique issues they face. We thank them for their input into helping us and the wider public understand more about the unique issues faced by young adults with cancer.)
Children diagnosed with cancer have many resources available to them. Entire hospitals are dedicated to their treatment, they benefit from the majority of financial aid, research funds and foundations such as Make A Wish and Ronald McDonald House and, of course they typically have supportive parents to carefully manage their care.
Like children, older people are more likely to have numerous recourses: family nearby, a pre-existing support network via social, professional and community connections, health insurance or Medicare, a better understanding of cancer and, perhaps some financial security.
What we do at The Warwick Foundation
Provide hopeful and inspirational programs that support the psychological, social and emotional needs of young adults with cancer
Advocate for the best possible treatment of young adults with cancer and their caregivers
Raise awareness on the unique needs of this age group living with cancer
Provide relevant and age appropriate information, referral and support
Network and work with other young adult cancer networks and organisations in Australia and overseas
Conduct health promotion campaigns to reduce the burden of cancer in society