Welcome to the January edition of the makeabigdifference newsletter.

Firstly I would like to wish you all a very pleasant and prosperous New Year and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed all the festivities.

Kicking off this first 2010 newsletter is the story of a wonderful young woman called Jen who later this year will be experiencing a Young Heroes respite break in Lanzarote.

Jen’s partner Akky Rahman was featured in last Octobers newsletter and the lovely couple met whilst both were undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Jen’s story is a reminder to us all how brave and strong these young individuals are in dealing with such a difficult emotional and physical experience at such a young and impressionable age.

We also share the new years resolutions of some of the young heroes past and present.

If you haven’t yet made any resolutions yourself why not bid to do something amazing for Young Heroes in 2010?

Young Heroes are always looking for organisations and individuals to help us raise much needed funds to support young people living with and affected by cancer.

Committed staff and volunteers at the charity hope that in 2010 we can increase the number of respite breaks and services we provide by double and can only achieve our new year’s resolution with your help. Please visit our new-look website for further details how you can get involved.

Also in this January edition Katie Brooman brings you some interesting tips and hints for people undergoing chemotherapy in the latest installment of Katie’s Corner. Not only will this article help those currently receiving treatment but it is also an eye opener to the rest of us.

You can also read about the governments bid to ban children from using sunbeds in England and Wales. Whilst researching for this article I was left stunned at the alarming number of young people risking their life for a tan. I read that children as young as 11 are giving into peer pressure and hitting the tanning salons in their quest to ‘fit in’ and look ‘fashionable’ and ‘tanned’ like celebrities.

Enjoy this bumper edition and all the best until next month,

Kim Tetlaw

Editor

Jen’s Story

Jen Bayley is a wonderful 22 year old woman who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) 3 years ago.

Her Leukaemia was so advanced that she had no choice but to begin treatment on the same day she was diagnosed beginning with 10 bags of blood, followed by almost two and a half years of chemotherapy.

Despite Jen’s experience she remains a very positive and strong young woman.

To read Jen’s full story please CLICK HERE

New Years Resolutions 2010

New Year is the time that millions of people around the globe bid to improve their lives in some way or another with their personal New Years Resolutions.

Whether it be the most common resolutions of joining a gym or stopping smoking or a pledge to travel the world or even bungee jump, we all want to begin the new year with a goal and end the year with an achievement.

We invited young people, who Young Heroes have supported from the beginning to share their own personal new year’s resolutions for 2010.

Akky Rahman

“My new year resolution is to go back to college, pass my driving test and hopefully star work. Because I want to carry on with my life after having it stopped due to treatment. I am determined to get my life back but I know it will time”.

Kerry Hamilton

“My New Years resolutions are to get fit again and also get back into work & move in with my boyfriend”.

Dan Hewitt

“My new year’s resolution is to definitely stop smoking”.

Jason Cox

“My new year’s resolution is I want 2 make a better life for me n my girlfriend and stand on my own 2 feet and just have a good time. I really just want to live life to the full!”

Katie Brooman

“My new year’s resolution is to definitely get myself more independent again”

Jen Bayley

“My new years resolutions are to hopefully complete year 1 of my degree as I’ve tried to go back 3 times whilst on treatment however always fell I’ll and had no choice but to stop, also just to do whatever I want, not to hold back because who knows what is round the corner and I hope to continue working with the christie crew to help promote awareness of teenage cancer and complete the race for life”.

Katie’s Corner

Welcome to Januarys Katie’s Corner, I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year and not struggled too much in the snow we have had for the past month! This month I have a few hints and tips that I learnt from my experience and others whilst receiving chemotherapy.

Click here to read this months Katie’s Corner

Government to ban under 18’s using sunbeds

Under- 18’s in England and Wales could be banned from using sunbeds as rates of skin cancer continue to rise. The government-backed proposal was announced last week and follows the Scottish ban which came into effect last year.

Fundraising idea: New Year, New You

Whilst we are on the subject of the new year, why not put your own resolutions to good use and get sponsored to stick to them. The chances are that if your receiving sponsorship money from friends and family you are more likely to succeed in your new year challenge and of course do something amazing for charity.

Cancers which are most common in children and young people

Since starting the makeabigdifference newsletter, we have featured the stories of many young people Impact Young Heroes have supported over the years. We have read their inspiring stories starting with their life as a regular teenager, to diagnosis, right through to treatment and beyond. But what do we really know about the cancer’s these young people have? and the type of cancer’s which threaten the lives of about 4000 young people ever year?

In this 2 part special you can read some interesting facts about the types of cancer most commonly found to affect children and young people.