A Bath family who experienced financial worries while their daughter was undergoing cancer treatment have backed a campaign from a national charity to help more families like theirs.
Andy and Lydia Newman, whose daughter Megan was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2010 at just 12 years old, are speaking out about their experiences for the ‘Cancer Costs’ campaign from children and young people’s cancer support charity CLIC Sargent that aims to highlight and ease the hidden financial burden of cancer.
As part of the campaign, CLIC Sargent released new research which reveals that Megan’s family are not alone in these worries and that on average, parents are spending an extra £600 a month on living expenses when their child is in cancer treatment.
The Newman family, who run their own local electrician business, lost hundreds of pounds while Megan was in treatment through travel and car parking fees and feared they may lose everything.
Lydia, Megan’s mum, said: “When your child gets a shock diagnosis like this there’s no time to prepare for it. You can’t just get your finances in order at the drop of a hat and there are so many costs people don’t think about.
“We thought we would lose our house and our business, and without the support from our family and CLIC Sargent we might have lost it all. We had to try and keep a roof over our head for our child. We were faced with not being able to pay the bills. We still have debts now five years after Megan finished her treatment.”
The Newman family are now encouraging local people to join the charity’s Cancer Costs campaign and sign the petition to Prime Minister Theresa May, urging her to take action now to help ease these financial problems.
“It cost us hundreds of pounds extra a month but you have no choice but to carry on. You have to try to keep yourself strong for your child but I remember one night crying on my own on the kitchen floor because a bill came through and I didn’t know how we could pay it.
“Trying to run your business and look after a child is so hard, we can’t just get compassionate leave – we have to somehow keep things going. We need everyone to back this campaign and change this for other families like ours.”
The family is also backing the appeal for the government to ensure all NHS trusts in England offer free or reduced car parking fees for cancer patients and visitors
Lydia said: “Car parking fees are extortionate, if we didn’t have the blue badge thanks to CLIC Sargent we would have struggled. I think it’s an awful situation – not just for kids but for anybody going through treatment for cancer that they have to pay to park. These people are already on the brink financially.”
Kate Lee, Chief Executive of CLIC Sargent, said: “The pressure of managing finances causes considerable stress and anxiety during what is an already impossible time for families. This is not right or fair.
“Following the initial shock of diagnosis, treatment often starts immediately and can take place far from home. Suddenly families see their lives transform, as their priorities shift to support their child through their illness.
“CLIC Sargent will continue be there for as many children and families as we can by providing practical and financial support but more needs to be done to ease this financial burden and help these families cope with the impact of cancer on their lives.
“That is why we are calling on the Government, banks, energy and transport companies to implement a series of measures that will make a real difference to families coping with childhood cancer.”
For more information about the Cancer Costs campaign and to sign the petition go to: www.clicsargent.org.uk/ccam.