A FAMILY from Minehead who have travelled more than 3,000 miles and spent over £3,000 taking their young son to hospital for vital cancer treatment says the Government needs to do more to help other families struggling financially.

Sarah Masters and her family are backing a campaign by charity CLIC Sargent after new research, released for September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, found that children with cancer were having to travel twice as far, and spend twice as much, on getting to and from hospital than adults.

On average, families of children and young people with cancer face a round trip of 60 miles to get to hospital for treatment, adding up to at least £180 a month in petrol costs.

Now CLIC Sargent is urging the Government to set up a Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund to help thousands of families afford to get to hospital and back for vital cancer treatment.

Duncan Masters was 13 when he was diagnosed with t-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in January this year after he started feeling tired and lethargic over the Christmas period.

After initially being diagnosed with a chest infection, Duncan started to notice bruising appearing all over his body and a purple rash on his feet.

After further trips to his GP and additional tests, doctors confirmed that Duncan had leukaemia on January 15. 

“When the doctor told me ‘Your son has leukaemia’ it was like an axe to the heart, and it felt like someone else was being told,” said Sarah.

Duncan was transferred in an ambulance to Bristol Children’s Hospital where he spent ten days receiving his initial treatment.

The family had to make a 120-mile round trip from their Minehead home to Bristol before Duncan started receiving shared care at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, leaving them with a 50-mile round trip.

Since Duncan’s diagnosis, CLIC Sargent estimates that over six months, and with more than 60 trips to Taunton, the family has travelled more than 3,000 miles and spent over £3,000 on travel and parking.

“A cancer diagnosis affects the whole family financially and emotionally,” said Sarah.

“Having access to a travel fund would ease up money in other areas and would allow for my other children to carry on as normally as possible, even just being able to go on school trips or outings with their friends- we wouldn’t have to sacrifice or worry about where every penny’s going.”

Kate Lee, CLIC Sargent chief executive, said: “The Government needs to set up a young cancer patient travel fund so that families can focus on their child, rather than worrying about mounting bills.”

CLIC Sargent is asking the public to sign its petition at www.clicsargent.org.uk/ccam calling on the Government to set up a fund.

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