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Artie's story
Artie was just three years old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2022. He and his family faced a 150-mile round-trip from their home in Dorset to hospital in Bristol, where Artie had over nine months of treatment.
For Artie’s parents Lauren and Simon, there was a lot to worry about: not only their son’s illness, but the extra costs for petrol, parking and food in hospital, their farm back in Dorset, and Artie’s brother Fred, who was being looked after by his grandparents at home.
The family was supported by Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers Lorna and Lyn, who helped them with emotional and practical support like access to grants and benefits:
“Lorna was really helpful, she helped me fill out all the DLA [Disability Living Allowance] forms - I couldn’t think straight let alone concentrate on filling out massive forms, she would sit with me and help me.”
Artie’s parents stayed at Sam’s House, one of our Young Lives vs Cancer Homes from Home in Bristol, so they didn’t have to worry about travelling back and forth to hospital.
“It’s lovely at Sam’s House, it’s nice and quiet – there was always people there in the day if you need anything. They leave you to it, nobody’s in your space – you can mosey on in, have a rest, have a shower, make food, you’ve got time to yourself from the craziness from the hospital. When Artie was feeling up to it, we’d all go up there for dinner and he’d play in the toy room there. Fred came up at the weekends. It made him feel involved - if we hadn’t been able to do that it would have been harder on him.
“Our journey has been made so much easier and happier and much more positive with the help of Young Lives vs Cancer. We would have been randomly stuck in Bristol with nowhere to go or I would have to have checked into a hotel and had to pay for that. No help or signposts of what to do and where to go, emotional support, financial support. I don’t even want to imagine what it would have been like without them, it would have been awful.”
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