Family support network
Focusing on the needs of patients and their families and friends
Teenage Cancer Trust's Family Support Networks have been developed to provide support throughout the cancer journey but especially at the end of treatment when patients and their families feel very vulnerable.
The networks focus on the needs of the whole family – if loved ones are supported the young person in turn will be supported. They also provide bereavement support for those who have lost family members, this includes parents, partners and siblings.
Staff running the services have specialist knowledge and skills, they understand the psychosocial needs of teenagers, young adults and their families who have experienced cancer.
Young people, their families, friends/peers and siblings are given the opportunity to discuss and share their experience and anxieties, investigating mechanisms for coping. This can help people make sense of their situation assisting them to understand what they have been through and helping them to move on positively from their cancer experience. Peer support can help young people discover that that they can have a life beyond cancer. Practical advice is given providing information on getting wigs, insurance, driving, education, and jobs.
For siblings
Siblings can gain an understanding that it must be really hard to be the brother or sister of a teenager with cancer. They often feel a sense of isolation and have the opportunity to share their anxiety and fears in a safe environment.
For parents
Parents get the chance to discuss openly the impact of relationships on the family. They can form relationships and socialise with people who have faced similar challenges. They can discuss the challenges beyond in-patient treatment; try and understand their emotions and the responsibility that they may face. It can help parents to let go of their son/daughter, giving them back their independence.
