| More Info | Each day in the UK, 6 teenagers are diagnosed with cancer – that is over 2,200 new cases every year. Cancer is the most common cause of non-accidental death in teens and young adults in the UK. Teenagers contract some of the most aggressive cancers that are made worse by their growth spurts. [Information from the Teenage Cancer Trust website] |
 | | Michael Callaghan with boots! |
At 47, Michael Callaghan perhaps never imagined that he'd need to start training heavily for a marathon trek that would test his mental and physical state to the limits; where acute weather conditions play havoc with your body heat and where there is virtually no contact with the outside world (save emergency back-up in extreme conditions). But then, he never imagined he'd lose a child. Rachel Callaghan suffered from double vision and weakness in her leg and hand which were the first symptoms of an inoperable brain tumour that ultimately claimed her life within one year of diagnosis. Rachel was just 16 when she died. With a passion for horses and a lust for life, dying was the last thing she planned to do. | "Rachel was such a kind, generous and beautiful young girl who made such an impression on so many people." | | Sheila Callaghan, Rachel's mother |
Victims of teenage cancer have been labelled the 'forgotten tribe' of cancer sufferers, yet in the UK, according to Teenage Cancer Trust, every single day, six teenagers will find out that they have cancer. This figure is alarmingly high and, it seems, is on the increase. What's more, because they're at the mercy of hormonal growth spurts, the cancers that attack them, not only seem to grow much faster than cancers of the same type in adults, but also, statistically seem to be much rarer in type. "Rachel died in October from a brain tumour and I wanted to do something in her memory that would benefit others with similar conditions or any form of cancer," says Rachel's father, Michael. He is aiming to undertake the eleven-day gruelling trek, organized by the Teenage Cancer Trust UK, to raise money towards providing Teenage Cancer Trust Units, including one at Addenbrooke's Hospital, which specifically provides for that rather unique tribe called 'teens'.  | | Destination - base camp... |
"Teenagers," he continues, "are young adults and it's a lot nicer for them to be treated not amongst babies or the elderly, but where they can have their peers around them. The units have their own space and things that they're interested in; games, coffee areas etc; geared to what they want rather than tiny chairs and toddlers running around." It's often said that teenagers 'just don't quite fit in'. They're not children, neither are they adults. They don't want to go to the park and yet they're too young to go to pubs or clubs. And when it comes to ward treatment in hospital, the same applies; they don't want to be surrounded by young children and they don't feel happy amongst a bunch of adult patients. However, for the most part, they don't have a choice. Michael and his family are keen to see this change and hope to support one of the aims of the Teenage Cancer Trust UK which is to provide bespoke teenage units in hospitals throughout the UK. This is a place that is geared towards the needs and desires of teenager cancer sufferers and is thought to have a dramatic effect both on their recovery and their way of dealing with cancer. And whilst Rachel didn't spend time on the wards in hospital, she was studying for her exams in clinics with young children running around and would, admit her mum and dad, have been far more comfortable being treated amongst her peers. And it's these peers that the units are for. Gone are the cute cuddly critters on the walls; gone are the sensible slippers and winceyette pj's and in their place comes a little funk. Computer games, consoles and comfort, all in that unique teenage style helps to create a space of their own where they can relax and focus on their needs. Each unit costs over £1 million to build. Michael hopes to raise a substantial amount towards that cost, providing over £1,500 of sponsorship himself* (covering the cost of the trek), so that every single penny he has been sponsored can then go directly to Teenage Cancer Trust UK. He's got the boots. He's got the support of his family, and he's got the memory of Rachel to trek for. * Michael successfully completed the trek and raised over £19,000! | 
