BRAVE TEEN SEREN’S CANCER MESSAGE
A WELSH teenager is helping a cancer charity highlight the huge impact changes to appearance caused by the disease and treatment can have on young people’s body image, confidence and self-esteem.
Seren Jenkins, 19, from Blackwood is backing Teenage Cancer Trust’s new #StillMe campaign, which launches today.
Seren is one of 20 young people across the UK whose cancer and treatment has led to scarring, hair loss, weight fluctuations, facial tumours and amputations, who are speaking out about their experiences – and offering tips and advice on how to cope.
Teenage Cancer Trust says body image issues are important for the young people it supports, and in a snap online poll conducted earlier this year, asked young people what worried them most about their cancer diagnosis.
It found that nearly a quarter (23%) were most worried about how their looks would be affected, this was second to survival rates (39%), but is a higher figure than those most worried about painful and lengthy treatment (21%).
Seren, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in February, has opened up about the impact of losing her hair.
She said: “When I was diagnosed with cancer I cried as I was upset that I was going to lose my hair. I used to dye it all different colours and loved having colourful hair, I see it as a form of self-expression. To think then that I was not going to have any hair to essentially destroy and go crazy with was quite hard.
“I bought eight different wigs of all colours ranging from blue and purple, to pink and blonde. I would think: ‘What colour hair do I want today? Maybe pink.’ I had some fun with it. I think it’s therapeutic to think like ‘oh I can just wake up and have pink hair or purple or I can dress really comfy or really bold just because I can!
“The first time I didn’t wear my wig was a big moment because that for me was me finally having the confidence to be who I am and whether I had hair or not really didn’t change who I was.”
For others going through treatment, she added: “Look at this as an experimental thing, no one is going to judge you about how you look right now because you’re going through the worst thing imaginable so if you can have fun with how you look through clothing, through hair, through accessories, then do it.”
Teenage Cancer Trust hopes advice from young people like Seren shared in the campaign’s inspiring #StillMe online films will help other people struggling with body issues, whatever their age.
Every day, seven young people in the UK aged 13 to 24 are diagnosed with cancer. Teenage Cancer Trust’s youth support coordinators and nurses, who are based in hospitals and local communities across the UK, provide emotional and practical support that helps young people cope with the impact of cancer on their lives, including the impact of changes to their bodies.
Kate Collins, chief executive officer of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Over the past three decades we’ve supported thousands of young people like Seren through treatment, and we know changes in appearance can be distressing and tough to deal with.
“The ‘ideal’ bodies and looks portrayed on Instagram that many young people aspire to are difficult to live up to at the best of times - and the effects of cancer and treatment on appearance, like losing hair can really add to this pressure.
“People like Seren are sharing their experiences of how they coped, and this will do so much to help other people facing similar issues. We’re really proud and grateful that she is part of our #StillMe campaign.”
For more information, visit www. teenagecancertrust.org.uk/stillme
I think it’s therapeutic to think like ‘oh I can just wake up and have pink hair or purple or I can dress really comfy or really bold just because I can!