24-year-old from Swansea helps Teenage Cancer Trust launch new fundraising campaign

Ben Peters was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia aged 22 and has said that without specialist support from Teenage Cancer Trust he fears he would have given up.

He is now calling for people to support the charity’s new “Stop Cancer Destroying Teenage Lives” campaign.

The aim of the campaign is to ensure young people with cancer receive urgently needed specialist care and support, in the face of mounting pressures on the NHS and the spiralling cost of living crisis. 

 “It sounds bleak but I don’t think I would still be here if I didn’t have the support from Teenage Cancer Trust,” said Ben.

“I wouldn’t have had the right help in place and I would have given up.”

Ben has received most of his treatment on a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. He is currently receiving maintenance treatment and hopes to finish this next year.

The specialist unit cares and supports for 14-25-year- olds who have cancer. It has eight beds, a day care facility and is designed to feel more like a home rather than a hospital.

“When you’re a teenager or a young adult, you’re at a different stage of your life to everyone else,” said Ben.

“Before my cancer diagnosis I was just starting out. I thought I was invincible but cancer doesn’t care who you are. It doesn’t care if you’re young or old, rich or poor. It devastates people’s lives.”,

It was in October 2020 when Ben knew something was wrong and he was having problems with his tonsils.

“I went to the GP a number of times, but they couldn’t physically examine me due to coronavirus,” said Ben.

“They said it was probably tonsilitis and fobbed me off. I spent months going back and forth.

“On Boxing Day 2020, I called 999 as I was finding it hard to breathe. I was taken to hospital in Swindon where I was living at the time and I was told it was tonsilitis but they also did some tests and eventually I was told that I had cancer.”

In a 2022 survey, it was reported that nearly half (47%) of teenagers and young adults diagnosed with cancer had to see their GP three or more times before referral – the most out of any age group.

Getting a cancer diagnosis when you’re a teenager or young adult is harder because symptoms can often be mistaken for growing pains or infections.

Going through cancer without the right age-appropriate support can be devastating – physically and emotionally.

Ben said: “After I was diagnosed I was transferred to The Churchill Hospital in Oxford where they specialise in treating the type of cancer I have.

“They don’t have a Teenage Cancer Trust Unit and I was put on a normal ward cancer ward with other adults.

“Everyone was a lot older than me and I was in a shared room with somebody in their eighties who was having end of life care.

“It was really traumatising and I was only 21 at the time.  Due to the pandemic, I wasn’t allowed any visitors and I felt so alone.

“Then Beth, a Clinical Nurse Specialist from Teenage Cancer Trust, turned up to see me and we talked for two hours.

“I was in hospital for two months. Beth, and Clare – who is Teenage Cancer Trust’s Youth Support Coordinator – were a massive support.  

“I was still finding it hard to accept my situation and I was bottling everything up.  Eventually everything that was happening hit me all at once. It felt like rocks had fallen on me, and I couldn’t move.

“Beth sat with me while I cried for two hours, she was amazing because she had the time to understand me as an individual and knew what to do to make me feel better.”

Originally from Swansea Ben decided to move closer to home and opted to travel for treatment at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Cardiff instead.

“The first time I walked into Cardiff I couldn’t believe how different the scenery was. There were Playstations, sofas, and a pool table.  It was more like a youth club and the new environment helped me forget about cancer a bit. Going there is more like a day out. It’s not so morbid, and it helped change my perspective on things.

“Without the support from Teenage Cancer Trust my attitude towards life could have been so different.

“Sometimes I compare myself to other people my age but I know that I have come a long way and it has made me appreciate the little things in life more. Sometimes, everything that’s happened to me doesn’t feel real.

“I worry about when I finish the treatment because I have had the routine of it but  then I take a step back and I know I shouldn’t be worrying about that now. I know that I will have the support from Teenage Cancer Trust to guide me through any difficult times.”

Paul McKenzie, Director of Engagement at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “It is an increasingly difficult time for teenagers and young adults who are diagnosed with cancer in the UK today. 

“Young people are navigating a complex healthcare system while grappling with economic challenges. They need specialised care now – more than ever – to prevent a future crisis. 

“Support from Teenage Cancer Trust ensures that young people have someone in their corner who understands their individual needs, both medically and personally.”