‘My name is Dr Jen Collins and I am a Consultant Clinical Oncologist specialising in the treatment of brain tumours, colon and rectal cancers and neuro-endocrine cancers in partnership with the Royal Free Hospital.

For all my patients, facing a life limiting diagnosis with complex treatments and an unknown future is scary. But this can be especially so for my younger patients. Cancer often needs surgery, radiotherapy and/or systemic anti-cancer treatments at a variety of time-points along a patient’s journey. These, along with the tumour itself, often impact on a person both physically and emotionally, and can have life-changing and sometimes permanent consequences.

Younger patients have all the concerns any one of us would have but they are often also navigating young families, are in the midst of careers and have financial pressures such as a mortgage to pay. The impact of their terminal diagnosis affects their greater support network and significantly impacts on their relationships with partners, their children, parents and friends. There can be great sadness acknowledging what could have been and what should have been and concerns about what the future may hold and how the cancer will continue to affect them. Often there are questions about dying itself, what that might look like and what may happen.

This is where Ending Life’s Taboo and the counselling service it provides is transformative. It gives patients the needed space and confidentiality to explore their concerns and fears in a 1-2-1 way. Patients, in my experience, can sometimes be a bit wary of how beneficial it may be to talk to someone but once they meet Lynda they recognise the value she brings to them and their heavy emotional burden is lifted somewhat.

There is a very real need for Ending Life’s taboo and the support it provides to our younger patients and as a clinician, I am very grateful for their expertise and care. Thank you to every one of you for your continued support of this amazing charity as I see daily the positive benefit it has.