Teenagers Fighting Cancer, Monday, Channel 4

Posted by Liberty Jones

        

This poignant documentary – about youngsters receiving cancer treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham – didn't make for easy viewing. Filmed over nine months, it focused on a handful of the 2000 teenagers diagnosed with cancer in Britain every year. One was 18-year-old Rebecca, who had just been diagnosed with bone cancer.

Realising she'd probably lose her hair during chemotherapy, Rebecca organised a sponsored head shave to raise money for other young cancer sufferers. Watching this articulate young woman having her beautiful long hair shorn, as tears rolled down her cheeks, was utterly heartbreaking.

Later, as she prepared to undergo an operation to remove a tumour in her leg, Rebecca displayed incredible positivity. "Sometimes I think why has it happened to me," she said. "But it only lasts for a few minutes and then I think, get on with it... this time next year I'll be running about and able to go out dancing again." Sadly, Rebecca never achieved her dream. Just a few weeks after the operation she died.

Also on the ward was 16-year-old Alex: an aspiring break dancer until he too was diagnosed with bone cancer. His doctor had advised an amputation in a bid to minimize the chance of the cancer returning, but Adam was adamant this wasn't going to happen. "I'd rather die with my leg than without it," he told staff.

At just 24, Adam was the old man of the hospital's Young Person's Unit. He was first diagnosed at the age of 15, and the cancer had returned three times since, most recently in his lungs. During filming, he discovered his tumour had significantly increased in size. After his consultant delivered the bad news, he sobbed in his girlfriend's arms, while his devastated parents looked on.

This was one of the most emotionally draining documentaries we've ever seen, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world. Why? Because it put all our petty worries and niggles into heart-wrenching perspective.

Picture: Channel 4

SEE ALSO:
Latest soap gossip >>
Big Brother body language special >>

Comments

[Beth]

when i was younger,rebecca, my sister and i used to play together. i recently looked through some old photographs of us all in fancy dress, rebecca dressed in a colourful butterfly costume, smilng..and i remembered the happy, free, high spirited person that she was and even through all her pain...rebecca was a fighter, she was so brave and it is not fair that in the end cancer won and took her from her family and friends. I know that one of the main things that Rebecca wanted was to help others in her situation, shes an inspiration, and i know i want to do whatever i can to raise money for the teenage cancer trust in her memory and a i hope anyone who is reading this now will do the same. 6 teenagers are diagnosed with cancer everyday ..this documentary highlights the heartbreaking reality behind that statistic. My heart goes out to Ellen, Rebecca's mum, and the rest of her family. Rest in peace Rebecca xxxxx

[missy]

tamsin, I am also 20 my parents also divorced but i still can not imagen what you went through! I hope you now get the support you deserve. Your sister would of been proud of you. I hope you manage to be the best nurse around! My thought go out to all family and friends who have lost someone. Emma xx

[mark newman]

this as said in summary certainly should make anyone who wathced it realise that the petty things that many of us get upset about are laughable in comparison to the suffering and bravery of these young people, if we got on and spent on cancer research what we are wasting losing other young people in the Afghan war we might just have a cure by now, my brother survived cancer thank god and so should many others if only the politicians allocated the money needed to combat this evil disease.

[wendy]

I sat down to watch this with my 13 year old daughter and found it inspiring and heartbreaking.

How these corageous families carry on every day is an inspiration to all of us who take everything we have for granted.

My thoughts go out to all the families involved.

[Tamsin]

I haven't watched this documentary because I think it will be too painful to. My big sister was just a couple of weeks away from her 16th birthday before passing away from bone cancer (osteo sarcoma), after recieving treatment for 4 years, including a knee transplant then after a whole leg amputation. My parents also decided to get a terrible divorce during her illness, involving injunctions / court cases and everything, because they couldn't cope with the stress and their marraige was always on the rocks anyway. I was 14 at the time and I am 20 now, and I miss my big sister Kelly terribly. I always think what life may have been like if she was here. She was very bright and artistic, and she was so strong and held extreme courage. I love my big sister Kelly and always will... I may watch the documentary as it will remind me of her strength and be an inspiration to appreciate our health and what we all have, but I don't think I will be able to. That time of my life I can only describe as extreme sadness.
Kelly held her thumb up to me the night before she died...the epitome of her strength. She was beautiful. I am going to start training to become a nurse in Jan 2010. Keep smiling and be positive whoever and wherever you are. X x X x x x

[Lesley]

I watched this last night - even though I am not a teenager - but it was a beautiful piece of work. Adam is a lovely man - and have the love of his girlfriend and family, but his attitude to life was totally inspiring, even for people without cancer, he stopped and made me think.
My thoughts are with Rebeccas family, she was a fantastic person - and held herself which such dignity. God Bless

[Lynne Daykin]

I found the programme heartbreaking and inspiring.My 20 year old son was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2006 and is thankfully in remission. Throughout my experience with his illness, every young person I have come in contact with suffering from cancer has displayed the same courage and determination to fight it. As Adams Mum said ' He just gets on with it' and thats exactly how my son dealt with it, carrying on his life normally as far as possible. He had major surgery, followed by 25 sessions of radiotherapy. The day after his last session he flew to Majorca for a weeks holiday with his mates, which had been booked prior his diagnosis. He returned to start 9 months chemotherapy. He was dealt a double blow with my own diagnosis of bowel cancer 3 months after his. We know now it is a genetic problem. He was incredibly brave and I am immensly proud of him. I only wish he could have been in a young person's unit as during his treatment he was very isolated. The nearest person in age to him was 49. A lot of the older people seemed to think he could not have anything seriously wrong with him and most of them ignored him completely. I think this group of cancer suffers deserves a lot more recognition than it gets and I hope the documentary helps towards this.

[Amy]

I watched this documentry and found it a massive eye opener. only being 19 myself, it often escapes my attention that people the same age and younger than myself can also be afflicted directly by this terrible disease. the most heart wrenching moment for me was when Adam discovered his tumor had got larger - i wanted more than anything for him to be okay and am very happy the radiography has worked.

a very inspiring peice of film, great work.

the best of luck to the sufferers involved in it's making x

[missy]

I didn't personally watch it but my uncle who is good friends with one of the teenagers dads in the programme sent an e-mail out and announced on the day the tour de france kicked off that he was going to cycle from the uk to France (500 miles) to raise money for this cause. We should think ourselves lucky that we have such a good life in comparison!