BRINGING
TOGETHER ALL YOUNG PEOPLE LIVING WITH
CANCER
CanTeen's mission is to support, develop
and empower young people living with
cancer. We do this by providing an
Australia-wide peer support network for
12-24 year-olds including*:
• Patients - young people who have been
diagnosed with cancer,
• Siblings & Offspring - young people
who have an immediate family member
(brother or sister, parent or primary
carer) who has been diagnosed with
cancer, and
• Bereaved Siblings & Offspring - young
people who had an immediate family
member who died from cancer.
*Young people who don't quite fit the
above might still be able to join -
please contact us.
Current Activities of CanTeen - The
Australian Organisation For Young People
Living With Cancer:
CanTeen, The
Australian Organisation for Young People
Living with Cancer, is a national
support organisation for;
-
Young people (aged 12-24) living
with cancer; this includes Patients,
Siblings and Offspring.
CanTeen provides a place where young
people can simply be young people, away
from the daily pressures of living with
cancer in the hospital or at home.
Through a wide range of camps and
programs, CanTeen encourages Members to
share their experiences, make great
friends.and of course, have fun!
CanTeen was created by young cancer
patients and its policies are guided by
young people living with cancer.
The touchstone of CanTeen is the belief
that young people, through meeting and
talking with one another, are better
able to cope with the uncertainties of a
cancer diagnosis.
A diagnosis of cancer at any time is
traumatic, but even more so for a young
person - already facing issues of
identity, independence, relationships
and career. Cancer is not a death
sentence, but it can mean the start of a
long process of painful treatment and
years of uncertainty.
Since its inception, CanTeen has had a
clear focus on the needs of young people
living with cancer and has demonstrated
a commitment to the principle of Member
participation in management. This
commitment ensures that CanTeen remains
true to its Mission and continually
assesses the needs of the Members.
Significantly, CanTeen provides support
through young Members who have 'been
there done that'.
Members are able to participate in
camps, recreation days, seminars,
workshops and most importantly share
their hopes and fears, partake in
decision making, meet new friends and
have fun together.
