Norwich City’s Sky Bet Championship match against Swansea City on Saturday, April 22 will be dedicated to our charity matchday partner, Young Lives vs Cancer.
Young Lives vs Cancer is the UK’s leading charity for children and young people with cancer and their families.
Every day, 12 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer. Young Lives vs Cancer is there to help them and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.
The charity’s social workers offer specialist, empowering support to help families navigate cancer from the moment of diagnosis.
With the help of their Homes from Home initiative, they are fortunate enough to be able to offer families a free place to stay nearby to the child’s hospital whilst they are going through treatment.
Young Lives vs Cancer also provide families with financial grants to help with the costs of cancer. On average, a family facing cancer spends an extra £730 a month due to the costs of cancer such as food, clothes, parking and travel.
Last year in Norfolk, Young Lives vs Cancer supported 73 families and provided 88 grants totalling over £21,000 to help families face the costs of cancer and they hope to increase this support this year following the cost-of-living crisis.
The charity has been given permission by a local family to share how their family received support from Young Lives vs Cancer when their daughter was diagnosed with cancer:
“Our daughter, then aged three, was a bright, happy, cheerful girl who loved pre-school, going to the dinosaur park and the beach. She started to seem really tired and run down and was taking extra naps. We got her an emergency doctor’s appointment after she was sick at pre-school and thankfully the doctors sent her for bloods straight away.
“Two hours later we were told the devastating news that our daughter had ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia).
“The next morning, we were driven by ambulance to Addenbrookes where we met Richard, a Young Lives vs Cancer social worker. Young Lives vs Cancer gave us a grant of £100 to help with immediate costs like travel to the hospital and food while we were there, which was so amazing, while we were trying to process what had happened. Richard is always on hand for support and providing us with advice whenever we need him”.
If you know of any child or young person going through treatment who needs Young Lives vs Cancer’s support, please visit their website here.
Young Lives vs Cancer have nominated a family to be the club’s Fosters Solicitors Community Hero for May, who will be in attendance for our fixture against Blackpool.
As part of the matchday, a signed shirt and a signed match ball will be going live on our auction website.