Young people's cancer stories

Read personal stories from families affected by childhood cancer.

  • Share your story

    Each of these stories has been submitted to us by a young person or family member with first-hand experience of cancer. We've heard from many families that they find it comforting to read the stories of others who have been through the same things.

    If you'd like to submit your own story, you can do so via our share your story page.

Read real-life stories

 A family consisting of a mum, dad and their two children smiles at the camera, with the ocean and trees in the background.
Cancer stories

James's story

James was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumour, in 2024 when he was seven years old. His mum, Katie, shares his story.

A smiling young boy with curly brown hair is sitting inside a blue climbing frame, wearing a grey tracksuit that matches.
Cancer stories

Teddy's story

Teddy was diagnosed with retinoblastoma in September 2023 when he was just two-and-a-half-years old. His mum, Amy, shares his story.

A young boy with short blonde hair is smiling and has a nasogastric tube fitted while wearing a red top.
Cancer stories

Oscar's story

Oscar was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) when he was three years old. His mum, Philippa, shares his story.

A little girl wearing a yellow t-shirt is playing, hiding inside a blue and red cupboard with the door open, smiling and holding her hands together.
Cancer stories

Nicol's story

Nicol was diagnosed with a brain tumour in December 2020 when she was just one year old. Her mum, Ivilina, shares her story.

A young girl with short blonde hair is smiling as she holds up a yellow and navy poster featuring the CCLG logo. The poster displays the message: "We raised... £450 for Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Thank you for your support." She is dressed in a pink long sleeve top.
Cancer stories

Izzy's story

Izzy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in February 2023 when she was just 10 months old. Her dad, Adam, shares her story.

A toddler wearing a light blue t-shirt sits in a hospital bed, with his head down.
Cancer stories

Toby's story

Toby was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in March 2020 when he was just two years old. His mum, Leah, shares his story.

A young boy is smiling while sitting in a hospital bed, wearing a light green t-shirt. He has no hair and has a nasogastric tube fitted.
Cancer stories

Jack's story

Jack was diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma in February 2024 when he was just five years old. His mum, Sarah, shares his story.

A young girl with little hair sits in a toy car, wearing a pink jumper that says 'Strong Girls Club.'
Cancer stories

Lexi Mae's story

Lexi Mae was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in May 2022 at just two years old. Her mum, Demi, shares her story.

A young blonde woman stands by a window in a tall building, overlooking the city of London. She wears a stylish red top and a black skirt.
Cancer stories

Kimberley's story

Kimberley Hattersley-Barton was first diagnosed with cancer when she was just 13 months old and has received a further four diagnoses since.

A young girl wearing a nappy is sitting upright in a hospital cot, surrounded by various medical equipment.
Cancer stories

Marnie's story

Marnie was diagnosed with kidney cancer at just 18 months old. Her mum, Bonnie, shares her story.

Cancer stories

Sophie's story

Sophie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in April 2021 at the age of seven. Her mother, Tanya, shares her story.

Cancer stories

Samuel's story

Life was turned upside down for us and Samuel’s two brothers when we were told he had a brain tumour. The tumour was removed in a long operation, but a few days later, we were given the devastating news that it was cancer. Soon after, we found out that it…

A young girl with brown hair smiles at the camera, wearing a purple top and holding a large red fluffy heart.
Cancer stories

Darcey's story

Darcey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in November 2022 when she was just 17 months old. Her mum, Sophie, shares her story.

Cancer stories

Aashna's story

Aashna first showed signs of cancer when she started limping as she walked down the stairs at school. For an active and healthy child, it seemed okay. But what followed was a month of progressive loss of mobility, day by day. She began crying at school,…

Cancer stories

Philippa's story

Philippa was just two years old when she was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), a cancer-like disease. Her mum, Claire, shares her story.

Cancer stories

Scarlett-Anne's story

Scarlett-Anne first showed symptoms of severe constipation and a swollen abdomen. This was when her pain started and she stopped eating properly, leading to multiple hospital trips to try and find out what was wrong.