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Home > In your region > Northern Ireland >“My name is Laurena and I am based in the Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital where I work with teenagers and young adults aged 16-21 years diagnosed with leukaemia.
“It is my role to provide support to teenagers and young adults and their families - right through their cancer treatment and beyond.
No-one knows how they will react to an illness like cancer until faced with it and every young person and their family responds differently. For teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer and leukaemia it often means long stays in hospital miles away from home. For many this can be really daunting.
“As a CLIC Sargent Social Worker I can sign post teenagers and young adults to other services tailored for them. We can give advice and provide ways for teenagers and young adults to cope with treatment and its side-effects. I can also help with their day-to-day needs – both in and outside of the hospital.
“I also get to know the patient’s family members quite well and I can spend time with them to support them through their child’s illness as well.
“The support I receive from my colleagues at the hospital and CLIC Sargent means I have real flexibility in my job. Currently my colleague Julie and I are looking at young patients experience whilst in hospital. For many, boredom can easily set in having to stay in hospital for a long time. We can help by networking with a number of agencies and projects to offer other services and activities such as complimentary therapy, the CLIC Sargent Youth Service, art therapy, internet access and Jimmyteens TV Project. And we are looking to provide more - including music therapy.
“I am honoured to continue supporting teenagers and young adults and their families. I am inspired by the courage and hope the young people demonstrate despite having a life threatening illness. At the end of the day I return home to my husband and children and family life and reflect on the day, grateful I have been able to contribute in some way towards making a young person’s journey through this illness a more positive one.”
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