“Without Cath, I think I would have felt lost.” Mum shares thanks for Young Lives vs Cancer Social Worker this Social Work Week

A MUM from Liverpool is sharing thanks this Social Work Week for a social worker who helped her family when her son went through cancer treatment. 

Hope’s son, Dzemil, was diagnosed with Stage 4 ATRT (atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour), a rare tumour, when he was aged just two. After Dzemil was diagnosed, Hope was introduced to Cath, a Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Worker.

Young Lives vs Cancer is the leading UK charity for children and young people with cancer and their families. From the moment of diagnosis, Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers provide young people and families’ practical and emotional support. They arrange grants and help them get the benefits and other support they’re entitled to. 

Hope said: “Cath is an amazing person. I remember when we first met her and Dzemil had just started his chemotherapy. For the first time in weeks when I spoke to Cath I forgot about all of the trauma that we had experienced and everything that was on our mind and we just had a really nice conversation. 

“Cath let us know that she will be with us every step of the way which was such a nice thing to hear. The support from Cath was brilliant. If I had any questions I could speak to Cath, and she checked in on a regular basis to see how we were getting on but also took the time to ask how I was feeling and that really meant a lot. Cath put me in touch with a team to see what help we may have been entitled to due to myself unfortunately being made redundant.”

Earlier this month Young Lives vs Cancer launched its new report into the impact of the current disability benefits system on children and young people with cancer and their families. 

The research found that, on average, young people and families facing a new cancer diagnosis across the UK have to wait six months before receiving disability benefits and have to immediately find over £700 a month in extra costs like travel, additional energy bills and clothes. 

While young people and families of children with cancer wait for their disability benefits, Young Lives vs Cancer Specialist Social Workers, like Cath, step in to provide financial grants, and navigate them through the application process. On average, the charity’s specialist social workers support 386 new children and young people every month.

“Without Cath, I think I would have felt lost, even more than I already did, but Cath was with us every step of the way and nothing was ever too much. When I started to panic about renewing Dzemil’s DLA and applying for his blue badge, Cath calmed me down and showed me that there was a plan B and everything would be ok.”

Cath, from Liverpool, has been a social worker for 10 years. 

Cath said: “I love working with some of the most resilient, strong and wonderful children and families, like Hope and Dzemil. They are an absolute inspiration and them inviting me into their lives is a complete privilege. 

“There are lots of difficulties about being a social worker, but they are outweighed by the joy and support I can offer as part of my role. I support children and their families with what they need and will work with the teams at the hospital and outside the hospital to make this work.

“We are here to take some of the stress off your shoulders and help you to focus more on your child, at what we know is one of the difficult times of your life.”

Hope said: “I will be always grateful for all Cath she has done for us a family. Even now when Dzemil has finished treatment, she checks in to see how we are doing and asks how he is getting on now that he has started nursery in school. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you done for us Cath.”

Dzemil, now 3, has finished treatment, and is now attending nursery. Hope said after everything the family have been through, Dzemil’s experience has taught them to live life to the fullest. 

Hope said: “Our lives are will never be the same after what we have been through as a family. Due to Dzemil having the gene (SMARCB1) associated with ATRT we have been told that he has a very high chance of relapse, but we believe in miracles and say that Dzemil is our very own living miracle. He is currently eight months off treatment and thriving. 

“He has recently started nursery in school and seeing how happy he is when he walks in puts the biggest smile on our faces. We never thought we would get to this point yet here we are.”