Cambridge teenage cancer survivor takes part in Dame Ellen MacArthur charity trip

A teenage cancer survivor from Cambridge has revealed how joining a sailing trip with Dame Ellen MacArthur’s cancer charity gave her confidence and helped her to make friends.

Now Ellen Walker, 17, who was treated at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for a brain tumour in 2009/10 is encouraging other young cancer survivors from Cambridgeshire to take up the opportunity.

Last summer, she spent five days on a yacht with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust sailing from the Isle of Wight. She will join the charity again this July on the Jurassic Coast and the charity is offering free places on the trip for other Cambridgeshire youngsters who have had cancer.

Ellen said: “I spent several years in and out of hospital and hadn’t had the chance to meet people who had gone through similar experiences. The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust gave me the opportunity to do that, and to do something really exciting as I hadn’t sailed on big boats before.”

Reflecting on her previous trips and the difference that the support of the charity has made to her life, she added: “It’s given me confidence and I’ve made lots of friends who I otherwise wouldn’t have met. It’s great to speak with other young people who have come through cancer treatment as they understand what it’s like.

“I was lucky enough to meet Dame Ellen MacArthur on my first trip and she was hugely inspirational. Learning to sail has been fantastic but the other activities and socials are great too.”

Young people aged 8-24 from Cambridgeshire can sign up online for some much-needed support with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust this summer.

The charity recognises the massive impact that cancer can have on young lives, even after successful treatment. This can include being left with fewer friends and struggling with relationships, as well as missing out on education and work experience.

Through the charity’s sailing and outdoor adventures, the charity says: “Young people gain a new sense of purpose and self-worth, rediscover their independence, and feel optimistic about what comes next in life. They realise what they are capable of, stop feeling like ‘the only one’, and their mental wellbeing improves.”

Founder and Patron of the charity, Dame Ellen MacArthur, said: “We see it time and time again. Young people arrive anxious and isolated. But they leave feeling part of something, accepted, independent, and optimistic.

“We are only able to support as many young people as we do thanks to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Because of them, thousands of young lives have been transformed after cancer through life-changing sailing and outdoor activity adventures.

“This summer we will welcome hundreds of young people from right across the UK who need post-treatment support. We will be there for them and they will believe in a brighter future.”

If you or someone you know from Cambridgeshire could benefit from the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s support, visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or email info@emcancertrust.org.