Newport Gwent Dragons will be wearing blue on 1st January in support of Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), a charity that supports teenagers and young adults with cancer, when they take on the Scarlets at Rodney Parade.
TCT focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. These units are boosting survival rates. The charity are currently raising funds for the first Welsh unit, more commonly known as the ‘Skypad’, which is currently under construction at the University Hospital of Wales, adjacent to the New Children’s Hospital. This will be the first time Welsh teenagers with cancer will have access to such specialist facilities. The Skypad is TCT’s most ambitious project to date and will be built on stilts between the adult and paediatric oncology centres at a cost of £3.4 million. The Dragons will change their shirt from the traditional black colour to the charity’s blue colour and a limited number of forty shirts will be produced for the derby game with 22 worn by the players for the match. Following the game the shirts will be signed by The Dragons squad and a number auctioned and raffled to raise money for the trust and its new unit. All shirts will be individually numbered.
Dragons player Richard Parks said, “Last year when The Dragons changed their jerseys to orange in aid of the MS society it was very successful and I think it is fantastic we are doing the same again this season. Cancer charities always receive a lot of coverage and rightly so, but often cancer is not associated with teenagers and young people. The Dragons have a lot of young fans and if we can do just a small bit to bring awareness of the disease and also the good work of TCT while raising some much needed funds for the new unit then I know the whole squad will be delighted to be involved and we will all do our bit to raise the profile of the charity.”
Today six teenagers will find out they have cancer. More often than not, these young people get a raw deal, receiving hospital treatment in inappropriate facilities alongside children or older people. In many cases, cancer in teens is not picked up early enough and symptoms are dismissed as growing pains or sports injuries. Because teenagers are undergoing growth spurts, their cancers grow faster than other age groups and they can be at greater risk.
In the last 30 years the incidence of cancer in the teenage and young adult group has increased by 50% and for the first time ever, the number of teens with cancer now exceeds the number of children with cancer. 18 year old Christian Evelyn was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia when he was 16. Christian is now in remission and coincidentally working for Cowlins, the contractor for the unit.
Christian said, “Whilst I cannot fault the medical treatment I received when going through treatment, I didn’t meet anyone else my age who had cancer. I had to spend long periods in hospital and I was bored as I had very little to do. It would have been good to have had access t a Teenage Cancer Trust unit and all the benefits it brings.”
The work of TCT began in 1990 and the special units they provide are dedicated areas for teenage patients, who are involved in their concept and creation. Medical facilities on the units are second to none, and they are colourful and vibrant environments, equipped with computers, TVs, game consoles – places where friends and family feel comfortable to visit.
TCT has 8 units in the UK however 70% of teenagers and young adults with cancer do not have access to these specialist facilities.
Echoing Richard Parks’ words Michael Owen said, “Changing our shirts to orange last year was very successful and from doing such a small thing something fantastic was achieved. Money was raised for the MS Society Cymru but also awareness of the disease and the charity was brought to the forefront of people’s minds and we aim to do the same this year. It is fantastic that a new sky pad is being built just down the M4 in Cardiff to help youngsters and if we at The Dragons can do our bit to raise awareness of the charity, its work and such a worthwhile project then we are delighted to be involved.”
All money raised will be go towards the cost of building the new Skypad unit in Cardiff.
Simon Davies, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust said: ”We’re delighted to have the valued support of Newport Gwent Dragons. Their involvement will help raise vital awareness and funds for TCT in Wales and we cannot thank them enough.
“TCT are working to provide better services for Welsh teenagers with cancer, closer to where they live. We are really pleased with the project’s progress but the clubs support will make all the difference!”
TCT focuses on the needs of teenagers and young adults with cancer by providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. These units are boosting survival rates. The charity are currently raising funds for the first Welsh unit, more commonly known as the ‘Skypad’, which is currently under construction at the University Hospital of Wales, adjacent to the New Children’s Hospital. This will be the first time Welsh teenagers with cancer will have access to such specialist facilities. The Skypad is TCT’s most ambitious project to date and will be built on stilts between the adult and paediatric oncology centres at a cost of £3.4 million. The Dragons will change their shirt from the traditional black colour to the charity’s blue colour and a limited number of forty shirts will be produced for the derby game with 22 worn by the players for the match. Following the game the shirts will be signed by The Dragons squad and a number auctioned and raffled to raise money for the trust and its new unit. All shirts will be individually numbered.
Dragons player Richard Parks said, “Last year when The Dragons changed their jerseys to orange in aid of the MS society it was very successful and I think it is fantastic we are doing the same again this season. Cancer charities always receive a lot of coverage and rightly so, but often cancer is not associated with teenagers and young people. The Dragons have a lot of young fans and if we can do just a small bit to bring awareness of the disease and also the good work of TCT while raising some much needed funds for the new unit then I know the whole squad will be delighted to be involved and we will all do our bit to raise the profile of the charity.”
Today six teenagers will find out they have cancer. More often than not, these young people get a raw deal, receiving hospital treatment in inappropriate facilities alongside children or older people. In many cases, cancer in teens is not picked up early enough and symptoms are dismissed as growing pains or sports injuries. Because teenagers are undergoing growth spurts, their cancers grow faster than other age groups and they can be at greater risk.
In the last 30 years the incidence of cancer in the teenage and young adult group has increased by 50% and for the first time ever, the number of teens with cancer now exceeds the number of children with cancer. 18 year old Christian Evelyn was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia when he was 16. Christian is now in remission and coincidentally working for Cowlins, the contractor for the unit.
Christian said, “Whilst I cannot fault the medical treatment I received when going through treatment, I didn’t meet anyone else my age who had cancer. I had to spend long periods in hospital and I was bored as I had very little to do. It would have been good to have had access t a Teenage Cancer Trust unit and all the benefits it brings.”
The work of TCT began in 1990 and the special units they provide are dedicated areas for teenage patients, who are involved in their concept and creation. Medical facilities on the units are second to none, and they are colourful and vibrant environments, equipped with computers, TVs, game consoles – places where friends and family feel comfortable to visit.
TCT has 8 units in the UK however 70% of teenagers and young adults with cancer do not have access to these specialist facilities.
Echoing Richard Parks’ words Michael Owen said, “Changing our shirts to orange last year was very successful and from doing such a small thing something fantastic was achieved. Money was raised for the MS Society Cymru but also awareness of the disease and the charity was brought to the forefront of people’s minds and we aim to do the same this year. It is fantastic that a new sky pad is being built just down the M4 in Cardiff to help youngsters and if we at The Dragons can do our bit to raise awareness of the charity, its work and such a worthwhile project then we are delighted to be involved.”
All money raised will be go towards the cost of building the new Skypad unit in Cardiff.
Simon Davies, Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust said: ”We’re delighted to have the valued support of Newport Gwent Dragons. Their involvement will help raise vital awareness and funds for TCT in Wales and we cannot thank them enough.
“TCT are working to provide better services for Welsh teenagers with cancer, closer to where they live. We are really pleased with the project’s progress but the clubs support will make all the difference!”
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