The Christie Charity
Our Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Coordinator (YSC) is a resident youth worker. Our YSC offers bespoke non-clinical support to all teenage and young adult patients throughout their proton beam therapy treatment.
The YSC gives practical help with specific issues such as altered appearance and body image, and they organise a range of informal activities and social events. Our YSC gets to know each young person beyond their cancer diagnosis, to provide a little normality during such an abnormal life experience.
Some of the social events our YSC organises include pizza nights, football stadium tours, Manchester walking tours, arcade clubs and crazy golf. These activities are optional for young proton patients, but they can help to keep patients active and are a great way of meeting other people of a similar age having treatment.
The proton beam therapy centre at The Christie has a designated ‘young persons lounge’ on the first floor. The lounge has books, games, arts and crafts, televisions and games consoles for our younger patients. There is also a games room on the second floor (also shared with younger children) with air hockey, pool and table tennis equipment.
