'I've noticed a difference in myself' says young cancer survivor from Walton-on-Thames

A 27-year-old mental health worker from Walton-on-Thames reflects on the last five years after her cancer treatment and the difference the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has made on her life.

There are a few final spaces available for young people from across Surrey to get on board with the charity this summer.

Rachel Sauvarin was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2019. Last week, she set sail with the charity for another transformational sailing adventure in Largs, Scotland.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust takes young people aged 8-24 on sailing and outdoor adventures to inspire them to believe in a brighter future living through and beyond cancer.

Rachel said: “It gives you time to reflect and everyone’s talking about what they want to do in the future. I’ve noticed a difference in myself because each year, I’ve been a bit older and it’s been like another year since my diagnosis, so I’ve been able to move on more each year.

“The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust has impacted my life so positively because it’s given me so many things, so many wonderful memories and put a negative thing into a positive thing.”

Cancer can have a big impact on a young person’s mental wellbeing beyond treatment, and what happens afterwards can often be as difficult as treatment itself - if not even more so. This is not understood or talked about as much as it should be, leading young people to feel like they are the only one finding life after cancer just as hard.

Once their treatment has finished, they are often left with fewer friends and struggle with relationships, their education suffers, they miss out on work experience, and they develop body image issues. Late effects of being diagnosed young include infertility, extreme fatigue, osteoporosis, thyroid problems, and hearing or vision loss.

Adjusting to this ‘new normal’ can be extremely difficult, which is why when treatment ends, the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust’s work begins.

Through the charity’s sailing and outdoor adventures, 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.

They start to re-establish their purpose and place in the world and believe in a brighter future.

Reflecting on the difference that the support from the charity has made on her life, she added: “It’s lovely to think back. I remember the trips so well and I’m able to reminisce about what happened. It’s been such a positive experience. Each trip has been so enjoyable, and I’ve got to know lots of different people.

“I’ve recently got the all clear from my hospital, they have discharged me after five years. The consultant said, ‘this is your five years gone now and it’s time to put it behind you and to move on.’ I think it was really nice because it means that you can move on yourself.”

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.”

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is there for anyone looking for support, no matter how long off treatment they are. Visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org or follow @emctrust on social media.