Opinion: Standing up for young lives: Why childhood cancer deserves a national voice
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. For families in Mansfield, this is not just a date in the calendar. It is a reminder of real struggles. I have spoken with local parents who have faced the hardest words a family can hear.
A cancer diagnosis changes everything. It affects school, home life and mental health. It brings long journeys, tough treatments and too many unanswered questions. Too often, young people and their families feel like they are left to fight the system as well as the illness.
That is why I have taken on a role in Parliament in the new All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer in Children and Young People. This group has been set up to give those families a stronger voice in Parliament. It is important work, and I am grateful to be part of it.
We will work with charities like the Teenage Cancer Trust, for which I am already Parliamentary Champion, to push for real improvements. That includes better access to clinical trials, quicker diagnosis, mental health support and services that reflect the specific needs of children and teenagers.
Young people often face rare cancers, and this creates additional issues when it comes to trials and accessing treatment. Local families have told me about the stress of travelling long distances to find specialist support. Others have spoken about the lack of information and the struggle to access help.
This cannot continue. Support must cover more than just treatment. We need to help children through their education, recovery and the return to everyday life. They should never feel forgotten once the treatment ends.
As Mansfield’s MP, I will keep raising these issues in Parliament. I will make sure the voices of families are heard, and I will do everything I can to bring about change.
This is not about headlines or party politics. It is about doing what is right. Every child deserves the best chance, and no family should have to face this fight alone.