A huge thank you to all those who got involved in our Go Grey in May campaign. We raised a brilliant £6,378 which is nearly double our target. We aimed to raise £3,335, which is what it costs for a clinical psychologist to support one child and their family for a year. We have now almost raised enough to support two more families.
Our corporate supporters have been incredible. We’ve seen the Holiday Inn Spirit Health Club taking part in a 100-mile Tri for Tom, the Cloud Software Group have been running cake sales, Cheffins were incredibly generous and donated during their team conference, Cielo Costa have turned their team meetings and social media grey, and many have dressed in grey including the BNI Saltline group.
We have also seen our Young Ambassadors bravely share their stories on our social media channels – Luke, Jamie, Chad and Sophie. Read more of our Young Ambassador stories.
How do Tom’s Trust clinical psychologists help children diagnosed with a brain tumour, and their families?
Approximately 500 children aged 0-19 are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. That’s nearly 10 children per week. Many children experience serious mental health issues such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, as a result of their tumour, and 62% of children who survive a brain tumour will then live with life-long disabilities (such as blindness, hearing loss, lost motor-function or learning disabilities).
Our clinical psychologists will carry out cognitive, psychological, and emotional assessments on children and the results from this will help to form a pathway of care and provide a benchmark for any future progress or decline. The clinical psychologist team also offer the child and their family access to one-to-one support, school liaison reintegration, whole-family support, group counselling sessions and sibling specific support. If we didn’t exist our families would not have this support.
Why do families need support from Tom’s Trust?
There is a common misconception that children treated for brain tumours make a full recovery. The reality is that a brain tumour is emotionally, physically, and mentally devastating, and for children the impact of their medical treatment can continue to unfold for years afterwards. A brain tumour diagnosis is also traumatic for the whole family and has a huge effect on the long-term wellbeing of everyone involved. Early intervention and assessment of key areas of brain function can reduce the likelihood of long-term disabilities and provide the best chance for children to get back to school, resume their lives and go on to achieve their full potential.
One of our parents said: “When my son was first diagnosed with his tumour, my fear of the unknown was so great. I was so worried that I didn’t understand anything about brain tumours, even with a medical team standing in front of me. Once I had the support of Tom’s Trust, I knew I had found something really special. Our clinical psychologist saved us in so many ways.”
Thank you again to everyone who supported Go Grey in May.